


Attack on Mulan

by random_writer



Category: Mulan (1998), Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angry Kissing, Crossover, Disney, Disney AU, Disney Movies, Eventual Smut, First Kiss, M/M, Mulan AU, Murder, Sexual Tension, Smut, Swearing, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-04-19 22:58:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14247552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/random_writer/pseuds/random_writer
Summary: Eren Yeager joins the Imperial Army to defeat the Huns and bring honour to his family. However, when his sister Mikasa joins with him the threats come not only from the Huns, but also those within the army who would kill Mikasa for being a woman.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. I also owe a lot of inspiration to the AoT/Mulan crossover fanart. Many thanks - you are so talented! 
> 
> I had a ridiculous amount of fun writing this yesterday. I was going to wait to finish before posting but I'd really love to hear what people think. 
> 
> Don't worry, I'll definitely finish this one. It's too much fun to write. :)
> 
> (All mistakes are my own - unbeta'd)

Three figures stood atop the Great Wall. At their backs was Mongolia and years of shared history. Before them was their latest, and most ambitious, conquest; China. 

A shout broke the silence of the night. Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie watched dispassionately as the first wave of the Hun Army overpowered the guards atop the wall. They were slaughtered as easily as lambs, but not before a lone guard lit the fire signalling an invasion.

Reiner bared his teeth in a horrible grin as the guard was chopped cleanly in half by Annie’s blade. The young man’s blood pooled between the cracks of red-stained brick and dripped down the wall.

“They know we’re coming.” Bertholdt said as the Great Wall was lit by a chain of signal flames which continued far along the horizon. The light only made it easier for the Huns to cut down the last line of defence into China.

“Perfect.”

***

Eren shook Mikasa violently. Her head lolled back and forth until her eyes opened and focused on Eren’s face. A lesser man would have been terrified of the glint of fury in her eyes, but Eren had grown used to his sister’s moods.

“You’re going to be late.” He said.

Mikasa growled and pulled her sheets over her head. “Like I care.”

“You know what will happen if you don’t make a good impression on The Matchmaker.”

Eren was pushed onto his back faster than he could blink. His ears rang for a moment from the force of his head hitting the stone tiles. Mikasa hovered over him, her jaw clenched.

“Why is it _my_ responsibility to save the family because _your_ father can’t keep his money in his pockets.” She said.

“He’s your father too.”

“No, Zeke Yeager is a creepy old man who took me in to marry me off and reap the benefits.”

“Don’t talk about him like that!” Eren shoved her to the side and stormed out of the modest two-bedroom farmhouse. He loved Mikasa like a sister, but sometimes she could be so ungrateful.

When they had first met, she was barely five years old and as thin as a wafer; starving and filthy from living on the streets. Her family had been murdered by Huns. She survived by hiding beneath her father’s corpse. It was horrible, and Eren couldn’t begin to imagine what such an event had done to her psyche.

His fury drained away and was replaced with pity. Her best chance, and subsequently his family’s best chance, was for her to marry above her class. It would pull them all up from the edge of poverty. A win-win situation. Behind him, he could hear crashing as Mikasa stormed through the house and furiously punched walls. 

When she emerged twenty minutes later she was wearing a long pink gown with a thick purple belt pulled tightly at the waist. Her black hair flowed loosely over her shoulders and she smelled of flowers. Eren had to do a double take. He had never seen her wear makeup, let alone a dress. She would have been unrecognisable if it weren’t for the scowl scrunching her face.

“Your mother forced me.” She grumbled, refusing to gain eye contact.

“You look very nice.” Eren said before handing over a light pink umbrella. If Mikasa could have looked more uncomfortable, she would have. She ripped the umbrella from his hands and began the short march towards The Matchmakers home.

“Look after her, Eren.” Carla Yeager, his mother, said from the porch. A slight smile tugged at her lips. “She will need all the help she can get.”

Eren nodded seriously and took chase.

The siblings walked alongside each other down the bustling street. Around them children played and darted between the legs of their parents. They passed a pair of older gentlemen playing checkers and a group of well-dressed young women.

Mikasa froze a few meters from the front door of the Matchmakers home. There was already a handful of women waiting at the step on one knee with their umbrella’s open. All the colour drained from her face. Eren placed his hand on her elbow and squeezed.

“It’s okay to be scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Mikasa hissed, shrugging off his hand.

Eren wiped his sweating palms on his jeans and tried to will the butterflies in his belly to calm. She might not be scared, but he was! Nerves were getting the better of him. So much was resting on Mikasa’s success, and she didn’t seem to care. What if she failed? Or refused to help them? What if she ran away?

“I’m sure you will be paired with a suitable husband.” Eren didn’t realise that he had said exactly the wrong thing. He watched Mikasa’s shoulders tighten as she took her place at the step with the other young women.  

When he caught sight of her face, he bit back a gasp. He had never seen her look so unhappy. Somehow, he felt her misery was his fault. For one insane moment he considered rescuing her, but was interrupted when his mother and father appeared at his side. Before they could exchange greetings, The Matchmaker threw open her doors with a loud BANG!

Everyone except Mikasa jumped in surprise. His sister tilted her head as she eyeballed the obese woman before her.

“Mikasa Ackerman.” The Matchmaker said.

Mikasa bowed. She entered the house and closed the doors behind her. Hope bloomed in Eren’s chest. Maybe she could pull this off. That hope vanished when barely one minute later the sound of screaming burst through the windows.

The Matchmaker smashed through her front door. Flames licked at the base of her skirt and black smoke billowed around her. Her makeup dripped down her face and gave the strangest impression of a sad clown. Mikasa stood behind her in the doorway, arms crossed as she watched the woman burn. She didn't move a muscle to help. 

“Put it out! Put it out! Put it ooout!”

There was a moment of chaos as the audience scrambled for water. Multiple sources dumped various liquids on the Matchmaker and the flames sizzled out of existence. The large woman seemed to have avoided serious injury, but Mikasa wasn’t so lucky. Seemingly unfazed by her near-death experience, The Matchmaker gripped Mikasa by the front of her dress and her thick hand came down hard against her cheek. The blow sent Mikasa flying from the front step of the house and into the dirt.

“Mikasa!” Eren cried. His father’s hand came down firmly on his shoulder, holding him in place. Eren stared at the hand, shocked. Immediately, he shoved his father back and forced his way through the crowd. He wasn’t about to abandon his sister, even if his father had.

He threw himself in front of his sister seconds before The Matchmaker’s boot could connect with her side. With Eren blocking her path, the fat woman kicked dust at them both instead, her face flushed with rage.

“You may look like a bride, but you will never bring your family honour!”

“She doesn’t need to be a bride to bring her family honour.” Eren hissed. Surprise crossed The Matchmaker’s features before she turned and stormed back into her home. The sharp scent of burning cotton and a trail of dark smoke followed in her wake.

“Thank you.” Mikasa’s words were spoken so softly that Eren almost didn’t hear them. He turned to pull his sister to her feet and wrapped her in a warm hug. She rarely thanked him for anything, usually too proud to admit to any form of weakness.

The smile fell from his face as a thin man with a ponytail and glasses rode into the centre of town. Behind him were two guards holding the red and gold flag of the Imperial City.

“Citizens, I have information from the Imperial City. I am Hange, Counsel to the Emperor.” He said as he pulled a long scroll from his saddle. Hange had a strange air about him. It was almost as if he were… excited?

“The Huns have invaded China!”

The crowd mumbled with fear. A few women screamed and fell to their knees. Eren felt Mikasa shudder in his arms.

“By order of the Emperor, one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army. The Arlert family!” Hange was not one to waste time with pleasantries, and immediately got to work collecting young victims for the Imperial City’s war machine.

A boy who looked barely older than fourteen with a thick mop of blonde hair and big blue eyes shuffled forwards. His hands shook as he collected the scroll from Hange.

“How old are you, Tiny?” Hange asked.

“My name is Armin.” He said, looking less terrified and mildly offended. “I’m sixteen.”

Hange shrugged. “If you say so. The Kirstein family!” A young man with thick brown hair and a long face ran forward eagerly to collect his inscription scroll.

“I am Jean Kirstein. I will serve the Emperor in my father’s place.”

“Thanks Horse-Face.”

“What?”

“What?” Hange smirked. “The Springer family!”

A boy with a shaved head collected the scroll, an angry glint in his eyes. “My name is Connie. Here to unwillingly serve the Emperor.”

“That’s the spirit. The Yeager family!”

This time, it was Eren’s turn to jolt. His eyes darted around in search for his father, but he seemed to have disappeared. _Where was he_? Zeke Yeager was young and fit. He even had medical training. He wouldn’t have to fight as a medic and would be invaluable to the Imperial Army. Unlike Eren who was barely of legal age to enlist with no serviceable skills to speak of. Not to mention that serving in the Imperial Army would bring their family great honour; far more honour than Mikasa’s marriage ever could have. 

“The Yeager family!” Hange repeated.

If no-one claimed the scroll, their family would be shamed. His mother and Mikasa would suffer. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Eren untangled himself from Mikasa’s embrace and stumbled towards Hange. His legs had turned to jelly and his mind whirred with the sound of a thousand buzzing bees. _What was he doing_? He stretched to take the scroll from Hange, only for a hand to come down on his shoulder. Relief filled him. It had to be his father. But, when he turned around, it was his mothers face which greeted him.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Mum, what’s wrong? Where is Dad?” Eren asked, a sick feeling in his gut.

“He… he fled.”

“What!” Mikasa said before Eren could even begin to process his mother’s words. His father had fled, knowing that doing so would force his son to enlist in his place. Years of ignored resentment came flooding to the surface and, for a moment, Eren saw red.

His fury crested and broke like a wave. What remained was despair. What would Mikasa and his mother do without a man to protect them? What if he never returned? What if their armies failed and the Huns found their village? What would they do to his mother? To Mikasa?

“I don’t have all day, Yeager. What’ll it be?” Hange asked, waving the scroll under Eren’s nose. “Are you a coward like your father?”

Eren snatched the scroll from his hands.

“I’m nothing like my father.”

***

“I’m coming with you.” Mikasa said. From the look in her eyes, it was clear that she thought her words were final. Eren knew differently.

“You can’t. You are a woman.” He said, picking absently at his meal. Eren’s mother had frantically made dinner then disappeared to search for her husband. He had no doubt that she would fail. Zeke Yeager was a brilliant coward. If he didn’t want to be found, he would remain hidden.

“I can beat you in a fight.” Mikasa argued. She was right, but it didn’t matter. She was a woman, and therefore she was not suitable for war. If she tried to enlist, she would be killed. Eren didn’t have to agree with it, it was just the truth of their world. 

“It’s not the same.”

“You won’t last one minute against the Huns!” Tears welled in her eyes, but Eren ignored them. If he was going to die, he would do it bravely as a man fighting to protect the family he loved. If he gave in to her tears, he knew he would never leave.

“I don’t have to listen to this.”

“You do.” Mikasa cried, gripping the edge of his shirt as he tried to leave the table. “I know what they are like. I know what they do. How they kill. The horrible things they do to the living, and the dead. You won’t survive.”

“And you think you will?” Eren hissed. Mikasa flinched.

“I have once before.” She had survived by hiding beneath her father’s corpse for days until the Imperial Army could reach her. She would never forget the smell. 

Eren mentally punched himself. He felt like something that should be scraped off the bottom of a shoe. 

“I’m sorry.” He wavered, then remembered why he was fighting. For Mikasa. For his mother. He had to be strong and convince her that he would be fine without her. Hell, he had to convince himself! Otherwise, he would never return alive. “But it’s different now.”

Eren stood tall and looked down at his sister with all the false confidence he could muster. “I don’t need you.”

***

The Imperial Army training camp was more chaotic than Eren could have imagined. He had woken that morning to find Mikasa missing. He was sad not to have a chance to say goodbye but had asked his mother to convey his farewell. She had not found Zeke, not that it would have made a difference.

Alone, he had taken a horse to the Imperial camp a few hours outside of town and handed over his enlistment scroll. After being provided with a tent and general supplies, he was ushered to a field lined with similar tents and was lost amongst crowds of unfamiliar men. He spotted the occasional familiar face. Armin, Jean and Connie were training in the same squad as him. They seemed to be keeping men from the same village together, as if a sense of comradery could overshadow the unrelenting terror of war. Although, it was a relief to have someone familiar to talk to.

“What do you think training will be like?” Armin asked. The four of them were sitting in a tent eating their allocated rations of rice and steamed vegetables. It’s wasn’t a flashy meal, but it was filling.

“Tough.” Jean responded with a smile. “My father was in the Imperial Army when he was young. The stories he told were brutal.”

“I’m not sure you should be happy about that.” Connie said, a frown creasing his brow as he shuffled slightly away from Jean. “You gonna eat that?”

“Here.” Eren sighed and shoved his half-eaten meal towards Connie. He hadn’t had much of an appetite since he had taken that scroll from Hange’s fingers. Not having a chance to say goodbye to Mikasa hadn’t helped his mood.

“What’s wrong?” Armin asked, concern thick in his tone. Eren had never met someone as genuine as the blonde-haired boy. He knew they would be good friends, assuming they survived long enough to get to know each other.

“I’m just worried about my family.”

“We all are, but as long as we remember that we are fighting to protect them, we cannot lose.” Armin said, and Eren (to his surprise) believed him. He was about to thank Armin when a crash from the back of the tent drew everyone’s attention.

“Oi, watch it!”

“You watch it, fatso.”

“Who do you think you are calling fat, kid?”

“A fat pig who just took two servings of rations, that’s who.”

“If you’re so hungry perhaps I should feed you a knuckle sandwich.”

“I’d like to see you try and move fast enough to catch me, fatty.”

Eren’s back stiffened. He recognised that argumentative tone. It couldn't be... He scrambled from the table and shot towards the sound of fighting. The battle seemed to have drawn in some bystanders. Now, at least fifteen men were wrestling around a pile of spilled steamed rice. At its centre was a skinny boy with cropped black hair. Only, it wasn’t a boy. It was Mikasa!

Their eyes met. Mikasa had her arm wrapped firmly around the throat of a short, bulky man with fists like a caveman. His face was turning purple, and Mikasa appeared to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Eren stood stiff as a statue beside the increasing thrall of fighting.

“Mi… Mi…”

Mikasa released the short man before he passed out. He scrambled away on his hands and knees, humiliated and beaten. Mikasa found her feet and fought her way to Eren’s side. "Eren."

"Mi... Mi..."

"Mike."

"Mike?"

“My name is Mike Yeager. I'm your brother.” Mikasa said. Eren shook his head, panic setting in.

“No, no, no. This isn't happening. How did you get in?”

“I took your scroll and wrote a copy last night. They barely glanced at it. As if someone would try and break _into_ the Imperial Army.”

“What about Mum?”

“She told me to come.”

“What!?”

“She said that you needed protection, and that we were stronger together.”

“Is she insane!?” Eren’s shouting was beginning to draw attention away from the fight. “You could be killed.”

“So could you!"

"If anything happened to you..." Eren gripped Mikasa's shoulders so tightly that she would bruise. The thought of loosing her was enough to make him sick. 

“We will protect each other and defeat the Huns." Mikasa said softly. "Together.”

“I didn’t agree to this!” The silence which followed Eren’s outburst was comical. He glanced around. All eyes were on them. The fight was over. But why? He spotted Hange in the corner, a wicked grin on his face as he looked at something over Eren’s shoulder. Mikasa turned her head and her eyes widened with… was that fear?

Eren was almost too terrified to turn around.

“Which one of you shitty brats are responsible for this mess?” The voice was low and held an authority which caused a shiver to run down Eren’s spine. There was a beat of silence, before everyone pointed towards Eren and Mikasa/Mike.

“You two?”

“Me! It was me.” Eren rushed to protect Mikasa before finally gathering the courage to turn and face the voice. He regretted it immediately.

He was face to face with Captain Levi; the most well-known fighter in the Imperial Army. A man renowned for his brilliant tactical prowess and brutal technique. Alone, he had more official kills than most squads earned over the course of a war. Eren had pissed off the wrong man.

“What is your name, brat?”

“E- Eren Yeager.”

“Eren Yeager.” Levi said his name like he was eating a particularly chewy steak. “Well, everyone. Thanks to your new friend Eren, you will spend tonight picking up every single grain of rice.”

Eren breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t made any friends today, but at least he had survived…

Before he could consider taking back his last thought Levi gripped Eren by the back of his collar, kicked his knees out from under him and punched him once, roughly in the face. He heard more than felt his nose snap.

Pain burst across his face and Eren bit back a groan. He had no doubt that if he complained he would only earn another fist to the face. Levi pulled Eren up with one hand. He admired the Captain’s strength even as he quaked in his boots and blood dribbled down his chin.

Levi growled in his ear. “Have fun tonight, brat. Tomorrow, the real work begins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I have six chapters plotted and I'll do my best to post one chapter a week.
> 
> The rating and tags will change as the story progresses. Eventually it will reach explicit rating (fair warning) but probably not until the final chapter.
> 
> I'd love to know what you think so far. :)
> 
> PS. The guard that was chopped in half at the beginning was definitely Marco. *evil laughs* then *cries*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the training begin! Mikasa is reckless, Eren is exhausted, Levi is furious and it all ends with the three of them naked in a lake.

The first fall of snow was welcomed by Annie and her comrades. Not only because they missed the sharp winters of their homeland, but also as it set the perfect conditions for their army to travel through the Tung Shao Pass undetected.

Sharp cliffs greeted them on either side, and thick white snow covered the mountain peaks in every direction. Annie pulled her menagerie of furs more tightly over her shoulders before spurring her horse forward alongside Reiner and Bertholdt. Their army of over two thousand soldiers followed without complaint. All were aware of the hazardous conditions inside the pass and knew there would be casualties, but they followed anyway. Victory was all that mattered.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed on the stone. A dusting of snow dislodged from the cliffs as a team of scouts approached. The first, a thin man with a cap of black hair, bowed while still seated in the saddle and handed a small children’s toy to Annie. She scowled at the doll, and then at the scout who had the audacity to hand her, the only women in a leadership position, the filthy rag. Reiner interrupted before she could flay the man. They would need every soldier if they were to succeed in their mission.

“How much farther?” He asked.

“The first village is two days ride, but there are already Imperial soldiers in the area.” The scout said. “It would be safer to raid smaller townships for supplies.”

“Do not presume to offer me advice. How many soldiers?”

“Over one hundred.”

“We outnumber them twenty to one.” Reiner said. He failed to mention that most of his army were untrained thugs who would be easily cut down by Imperial Soldiers. It didn’t matter. War was a numbers game, and his soldiers were expendable pawns. 

“Annie.” Reiner began. “You have five hundred men. Use them to take the village. We will meet you there in three days.” 

Annie nodded. “What about the civilians?”

Reiner’s eyes flashed in the dim morning light. “No survivors.”

***

Eren winced as Mikasa dabbed his bloody face with a damp cloth. His nose was broken, and his usually vibrant eyes had matching black bruises. The sky was lit in shades of orange as the sun peeked over the horizon. It had been a horrible night.

Most of the soldiers had abandoned the clean-up effort, having heard the Captain's unreasonably high cleaning standards. They didn't want to piss him off again. Which left Eren and Mikasa/Mike to clean-up alone. Armin, Jean and Connie were kind enough to assist, but even with their help they didn’t finish until sunrise. 

They were all exhausted. Jean sat in the grass beside the freshly cleaned tent with his head in his hands. Connie was lying on his side, curled into a ball and snoring lightly. Only Armin was conscious enough to help Mikasa clean Eren’s face and strap his broken nose into position.

“Congratulations.” Armin said as he carefully placed medical tape over the wound. “You have earned your first battle scar.”

“I’ll have a scar?” Eren’s voice sounded nasally from the blood clotted in his sinus.

“More like a dent.” Mikasa corrected. Eren glared in her direction.

For the first time since seeing her at the training camp, Eren studied her appearance. She had done a convincing job of disguising her feminine attributes. Her hair was cropped boyishly short and she was covered in a layer of dirt from the fight last night. Her shirt was flat against her chest, and Eren tried not to think about how she must have strapped her breasts. However, her disguise would mean nothing if she didn’t start acting more cautious.

He was furious with her for starting the fight which had led to their sleepless night and his broken nose, but he couldn’t act on his frustration. If they were going to survive training and keep Mikasa’s secret, they had to work together.

“Levi will pay for hurting you.” Mikasa said, her voice monotonous. There was a beat of silence, followed by a barely suppressed snicker from Connie.

“You’re not at all like your brother, Mike.” Connie sat up and pounded Mikasa’s shoulder. If it had been Eren, he would have fallen over from the force of the blow. Mikasa didn’t flinch.

“We aren’t brothers.” Mikasa said plainly, and Eren almost fainted. _Was she trying to get them killed?_

“What sh- HE! What HE means is that we aren’t _blood_ brothers. Mike was raised by my family after… After…” He didn’t know how to finish his sentence. His mind was fuzzy with pain and he couldn’t come up with a suitable lie. Luckily, Mikasa was willing to fill in the gaps. Only, not with lies.

“After my family were murdered by the Huns.”

Armin placed his hand softly against her arm. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s why I’m here; to defeat the Huns and avenge my family.” Mikasa’s voice had gotten lower and her eyes were glazed with a kind of madness. Eren rarely saw this side of her. She looked perfectly capable of murder, and it terrified him.

To his relief, Hange rounded the corner at a skip. The Emperor’s Counsel came to an abrupt holt and stared at the group from behind his glasses. His head tilted slightly, before a brilliant smile lit up his face. The change happened so quickly that it was almost frightening.

“Don’t fall behind today, Levi is in a bad mood.” He warned.

“He wasn’t in a bad mood last night?” Eren grumbled.

Hange’s smile faltered and a spike of fear shot through Eren. If the Counsel to the Emperor feared Levi, then Gods help them all.

***

“Soldiers!”

The haphazard group lined up in a matter of seconds. Captain Levi had a scowl on his face and a longbow slung over his shoulder. His eyes passed over every member of the squad, pausing on Eren as he studied the medical tape on his face. Eren held his breath until he moved past.

“You will assemble swiftly and silently every morning.” Levi said. “Anyone who acts otherwise, will answer to me.”

Nobody dared speak. Most were aware of the Captain’s reputation, and anyone who wasn’t had seen Eren’s face. Levi seemed almost disappointed by their obedience, until his gaze rested on Eren once more.

“Yeager.” The line of men (including Mikasa) stepped back in unison, leaving Eren feeling incredibly exposed. That feeling quadrupled when Levi pulled the bow from over his shoulder and loaded an arrow. His black eyes thinned as they focused on the tip of the arrow, then the centre of Eren’s forehead. The muscles in his arms flexed as he pulled the string back to rest against his cheek.

Eren’s life flashed before his eyes. His knees wobbled and he struggled to catch his breath. At the last second, Levi’s wrist twitched. The arrow made a soft whooshing sound as it brushed past his ear.

“Retrieve the arrow.”

Eren took a long, steadying breath. The arrow was lodged at the top of an immense totem pole carved with horrible giants and screaming faces. It had to be over ten meters tall. However, Eren had been climbing trees since he could walk, and this would be no challenge. He sauntered towards the totem with a confident grin.  

“Hold on, Yeager.” The Captain stopped him, his fingers digging into his shoulder. Of course, it had been too easy. "Hey, shitty four-eyes, bring them over!"

Eren balked at Levi’s insult to the Emperors Counsel, then at Hange’s laugh as he hurled two large coin-shaped weights hanging on red silk ties towards them. Levi took the weights as if they were children’s toys.

“This represents discipline,” Levi began as he shoved the first weight into Eren’s arms. “And this, represents strength.”

When Levi released the final weight, Eren almost fell over. There were muffled snickers from the soldiers.

“The first man to reach the arrow will earn a place on my squad.”

Eren blinked. To earn a place on the Captain’s squad was to immediately jump the ranks. It would be a great honour, not to mention he would have Levi fighting with him on the battlefield. That could only improve his chances of survival, right? Even though he was terrified of the Captain, the glory of joining his squad was too tempting to ignore.

He barely made it three steps before he collapsed under the weights. The soldiers mocking laughter made him flush beneath the bandage.

Luckily, humiliation and rage focused his mind.

He gripped the weights and stormed towards the totem. With a roar, he swung the coins until they wrapped around each other on the opposite side of the pole. Then, painfully slowly, he began to shuffle upwards. His arms burned, and his thighs were rubbed raw where they gripped the splintered wood. He managed to scale almost three meters before his muscles gave out and he tumbled to the ground. This time, the soldiers didn’t laugh. To Eren, that was a victory.

Levi nodded, recognising his achievement, before passing the weights to the next soldier.

***

Nobody reached the arrow that morning. Of the forty soldiers who attempted the climb, Eren held the record, Mikasa was a close second, and Armin had been unable to lift the weights off the ground.

As their first day of training progressed Levi gave them increasingly challenging tasks and teased them with incentive to perform. Whoever completed the assigned task first would be granted a spot on his squad. There were five opportunities. The first was the arrow, and nobody was close to achieving that feat.

The second was the first man to run ten kilometres with a thirty-kilogram weight on his shoulders. Mikasa had powered ahead during this exercise, and was disappointed when Levi stopped them at two kilometres. She explained to Eren quietly that she and his mother had carried a similar weight in groceries to and from the village every morning since she was five. It seemed like an unfair advantage to Eren.

The third was the first man to successfully hit three moving targets with as many arrows. This was the one task Mikasa had failed miserably at. For a moment it was satisfying, until Eren discovered he was equally as hopeless. 

The fourth was the first man to disarm Hange in a sword fight. With a sword in his hand, he was unbeatable. He liked to brag how he was ‘ _even better than the Captain_ ’, but he only said that when Levi wasn’t within hearing range, which was probably wise.

Hange, as it turned out, was a member of Levi’s squad before he was employed by the Emperor. It explained the casual way they behaved around each other, but not Hange's flippant attitude. He outranked Levi significantly, but was quite happy being verbally abused by the shorter man. Their relationship confused and frustrated Eren, who had always believed disrespecting ones superiors was criminal. He was determined to uncover the truth of their connection. 

The fifth, and most impossible, task was the first man to beat Captain Levi in hand-to-hand combat. Nobody dared challenge him on their first day, and Eren doubted anyone ever would. Most soldiers would prefer to face an army of Huns than Captain Levi’s fists, Eren included.

By the time the sun was low on the horizon, he had completely forgotten about Hange’s warning. Levi seemed to be his normal, terrifying self. That was, until Mikasa threw Eren over her shoulder during combat training and he went flying into the Captain’s back.

It felt like hitting a wall. He bounced off stiff shoulders and tumbled to the ground. When he regained his bearings and blinked the dirt from his eyes, he was face to face with Levi’s fury. Fury which was made more horrifying by the absence of noise. He didn’t shout or crease his brow or clench his fists. His face was a cool mask of what Eren could only describe as boredom. Only his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

“Yeager.” His voice was as smooth as silk. Eren felt like he might be sick. “You’re making a habit of pissing me off.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Stand.” Levi said. 

Eren obeyed like a puppet on a string. The soldiers stopped their training to watch. Nobody looked him in the eye.

“Wait, sir!” Eren thought he was scared before, but the sound of Mikasa interrupting managed to send him into a panic. “It was my fault.”

Levi grabbed the front of Mikasa’s shirt and pulled until they were nose to nose. Eren prayed Levi didn’t glance down and see the bandage strapping her chest.

“I don’t care whose fault it is. I’m going to hit someone. So, who will it be?”

“Me.” The siblings spoke at the same time.

“Tch.” Some of the controlled rage left Levi’s face. He scanned Mikasa’s face, then looked over his shoulder at Eren. “Fine.”

“Captain,” Hange interrupted. His voice was more gentle than normal, as if he were speaking to a skittish animal. Levi’s eyes flicked to Hange and he raised a questioning eyebrow. “Don’t cripple anyone.”

Levi shrugged as if to say, ‘ _I’ll see what I can do’_ before he shoved Mikasa to the ground. Eren moved to help, only to have the wind knocked out of him when Levi roundhouse kicked him in the gut. He barely managed to remain standing. Levi followed the kick with a fist to the solar plexus, then a jab to the chin.

It was obvious that Levi was playing with him. Pulling his punches to avoid serious damage and to prolong the fight. Eren decided that was just fine as long as he focused his attention away from Mikasa.

Of course, Mikasa chose that moment to throw herself into the fray. She released a warlike cry and wrapped her arms around Levi’s throat from behind. The sheer insanity of the move took Levi by surprise, but he recovered quickly. He gripped her forearm, kicked her knees apart and threw her over his shoulder. She collided with Eren, knocking him to the ground, before she rolled back onto her feet.

Levi had forgotten Eren by this point and was studying Mikasa like she was a particularly curious insect. They circled each other, fists raised. The soldiers crowding around didn’t know whether to cheer for their Captain or their comrade. Eren was dazed and could only watch.

A string of blood dribbled from the corner of Mikasa’s mouth. She wiped it with the back of her hand and the stain spread across the lower half of her face.

Seemingly in unison, the fighters leapt into the centre of the ring. Mikasa had barely raised her fist before Levi had her face down on the ground in a headlock. She wrestled violently, growling low in her throat, while Levi pressed his knee into her spine and tugged her arms behind her back.

“Had enough, brat?” Levi asked.

“Have you, old man?” Mikasa hissed, before he pressed her face into the dirt. She was beaten. 

Hange’s hooting laugh was a welcome relief. At the sound, Levi released Mikasa’s arms and stepped back. She rolled onto her back, panting heavily, then pushed herself onto her elbows.

Eren was at his wits end. He had just watched Levi beat his sister without expending any effort. Eren and Mikasa were sweaty, bloody, bruised and exhausted. Levi hadn’t even gotten dirt on his trousers. In that moment, he barely looked human. Yet, at the same time, he looked more human than any of them.

The soldiers stood awkwardly, waiting for the bloody conclusion they had been promised.

“What’s your name, soldier?” Levi asked.

“Mike Yeager.” Mikasa said. The right side of her face was covered in black dirt and was slick with blood.

“Of course there are two of you.” Levi muttered. “Hange!”

“Yes, Captain.” Hange appeared at his side.

“Teach these shit-heads how to throw a real punch while I wash up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eren stared after Levi’s retreating form. He studied the muscles in his shoulders as they shifted beneath his shirt and the casual ease of his gait as he walked towards his tent.

Levi had been wild with fury in the moment Eren had collided with him, but sometime before throwing the first punch he had controlled himself. Now, he looked tired and a little sad.  

Eren didn’t know if it was a lapse in sanity or the pain of his broken nose that made him call out.

“Captain Levi!”

Levi glanced over his shoulder, one hand raised to push his tent flap to the side. Levi had beaten them, but he had done it in the kindest way possible. He could have killed either one of them. Instead, he taught them a lesson. Eren didn’t know what to say except…

“Thank you!”

A look of confoundment crossed Levi’s features. After a moment, he shook his head and turned away.

“Fucking crazy brats.” He muttered before he disappeared into his tent.

***

"You are insane."

"Just because I look like a man, doesn't mean I have to smell like one." Mikasa said as she began tugging at her filthy clothes. With a loud sigh, Eren turned his back and reluctantly acted as lookout.

He had been just about to fall asleep, physically and mentally exhausted after a full day of training, when a scratching sound had alerted him to Mikasa’s presence outside his tent. She had practically dragged him to the lake.

For a couple of obvious reasons, she could not bathe with the other soldiers around. Eren understood this, but he also hadn’t slept in over thirty hours and was beginning to feel the dragging effects of sleep deprivation. There was a shadow darting in his peripheral vision, and his paranoia was through the roof. If he didn’t get some sleep tonight, he would collapse from exhaustion during training tomorrow. He doubted Levi would be willing to give him a third chance.

There was a loud splash followed by Mikasa’s sigh of relief as layers of filth drifted from her body and into the water. The full moon lit the landscape and cast long shadows.

“Hurry up.” Eren said.

“Relax. Who else would bathe in the middle of the night?” Mikasa sounded almost gleeful as she splashed the blood off her face.

“I don’t know maybe… Levi!” Eren dropped onto his belly as the familiar silhouette of the short but powerful Captain approached from the top of the hill. _Shit, shit, shit._ If he saw Mikasa, they would both be killed.

Mikasa snickered. “Yeah, that neurotic little freak probably would…”

“Shut up. He’s coming down.” Eren hissed.

“What!”

“Run.”

“I can’t. I’m naked.”

“Then hide.” Eren ducked behind a boulder and held his breath. Mikasa slipped into a small crevice between two rocks. She was close, but out of sight.

Levi strolled down the hill with a bar of soap in one hand and a towel in the other. He hung the towel over a piece of string strung between two trees, so it wouldn’t touch the dirty ground. Then, he tugged off his shirt with one arm and hung it beside the towel. His pants soon followed.

Eren bit the inside of his cheek. The Captain was a stunning physical specimen. His lean torso was sculpted with clearly defined muscles. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck and stretched like a slowly awakening cat.

The tug of lust was a surprise. Eren had admired the male physique before, but never felt the desire to touch. To taste. To linger.

His longing lessened when Levi turned to face the water and displayed three angry wounds down his back. He leaned around the boulder to get a clearer view, and promptly stepped on a twig. The sound of the stick snapping beneath his boot echoed like a gunshot in the still night.

“Whoever is hiding behind that boulder better come out now. I’m not a patient man.” Levi said. 

Eren spared a glance to Mikasa’s hiding spot, then over to Levi. The Captain stood, proud and naked, with his arms crossed over his chest. His pale skin shone in the moonlight.

Knowing he had no other choice, Eren stepped into the open. He could pinpoint the moment Levi recognised him by the clenching of his left fist against his ribcage.

“Yeager, what are you doing here?” Levi growled. He didn’t move to cover himself; unashamed of his body in front of the young soldier. It took all Eren’s willpower to keep his gaze fixed above the Captain’s chest.

“I wanted a bath.” He said. It was the only plausible excuse he could come up with while his mind whirred with questions and fear and nerves. Levi must think he was a nutcase, or a liar, or a pervert. Eren didn't know which of the three he preferred.  

“In the middle of the night?” Eren nodded. Levi uncrossed his arms. “Well, it’s a big lake. Don’t let me stop you.”

When he walked into the lake, Eren once again caught sight of the parallel slashes down his spine. They looked recent.

“Are you going to stand there all night?” Levi was hip-deep in the water and giving Eren a mildly pissed-off look. Eren realised had been staring and was suddenly grateful for the darkness which hid his blush.

He glanced briefly to where Mikasa was huddled before stripping. If he could keep Levi distracted, it would give her a chance to get dressed and back to her tent without being discovered.

His cheeks felt hot as he stepped out of his undergarments. He hurried into the water and almost slipped in his rush. Air hissed through his teeth as the chilly water hit his skin. When he looked up, he saw Levi had turned his back to give him privacy. The gesture was surprising. In his own way, Levi was a kind man. His broken nose twinged as if to remind him what Levi was capable of. 

“What are those cuts on your back?” Eren asked before he had a chance to think. Expecting a curse, or even another fist to the face, Eren was surprised when Levi made a sound that wasn’t altogether unlike a huff of laughter.

“You must have a death-wish, Yeager. Or you really are as stupid as you look.” Levi said, but his insult didn’t hold any real sting. He paused as if considering whether to tell the truth or not before he said; “They are whip marks.”

“Who whipped you?” Eren was walking a dangerous line, but he had to keep Levi's attention to protect Mikasa. 

“The General. My father.” Eren’s eyes went as round as saucers. He thought for a moment about his own father. Zeke Yeager, the traitorous coward, had abandoned his family and his duty, leaving Eren with a world of responsibility. He was a bastard, but never in a million years would he whip his only son.

“He shouldn’t have.”

Levi looked surprised, like he had never considered that he didn’t deserve to be beaten. “He had every right. I broke the law.”

“A father should never raise his fist against his own family.” Eren believed those words with every fibre of his being. It took an instant for Levi to shatter his innocent optimism.

“You might think differently if you knew what I had done.” He said. Water droplets streamed down his chest and over his shoulders as he rubbed his body with soap. The suds fanned out around him like an aura. Eren stood just outside the soapy circle. “Besides, a General has every right to discipline his subordinates, as I have disciplined you.”

“That’s different. You were teaching me a lesson.”

Levi suddenly looked very sad. Eren stepped closer. His arm raised to comfort, but it froze inches away from touching Levi’s shoulder. They both stared at the arm and everything it represented, before Eren lost his nerve and dropped it. Now, they were standing much closer. A cool breeze rippled the surface of the water.

“It might not make sense to you,” Levi began. “But the General was teaching me a lesson too. In his own way.”

It didn’t make sense, but Eren was willing to concede before he spotted Mikasa slink from the water and rush behind a boulder. Her timing couldn’t have been worse.

“I’m finished. You should get some sleep.” Levi said as he washed the last of the suds from his skin. “Otherwise your nose will never have a chance to heal.”

 _Crap_ , Eren thought. Mikasa was still getting dressed. He had to keep Levi’s attention away from the bank for a few more moments.

He couldn’t think fast enough. The Captain was mid-turn when Eren panicked. His hands shot forwards and slipped against his superior’s shoulders. The sudden movement sent water splashing into both their faces.

Clumsy as ever, Eren stumbled and was sent careening into Levi’s broad, and very bare chest. He reached out to break his fall, but his fingers couldn't grip on smooth skin. His fingers ended up locked at the base of Levi’s neck and his face pressed against his collarbone with an intimacy neither of them was prepared for.

Heat radiated from Levi’s body. They were so close. Eren could feel the Captain’s chest rise and fall with his breath.

Mortified, and genuinely fearing for his life, he thought about anything but the sensation of being pressed against Levi’s torso. Their nakedness had bothered him before, but now it was giving him a full-blown panic attack. Eren sucked in a breath as heat pooled low in his belly. Panic mixed with something far worse; desire.

Levi was as still as a statue. He took two deep breaths which brushed past Eren’s right ear. He wasn’t pulling away. Was he... enjoying this? A soft gasp escaped Eren’s dry throat as lustful images filled his mind. Images of Levi pushing him down into a soft bed. Straddling his hips and teasing him relentlessly until he was mad with desire. Begging for his hands, his mouth, his...

Levi shifted and their chests brushed. All the blood in Eren's head rushed downwards. Silently, he cursed his traitorous body. _Damn it Eren, he is your Captain! He broke your nose. He beat your sister._

“Yeager.” Levi’s voice was low and gravelly.

Eren shut his eyes and waited for death.

“You have two seconds before I break your fingers.”

Eren jolted back as if Levi’s skin had physically burned him. In his flustered state, he had completely forgotten about Mikasa. He looked over Levi’s shoulder to see her sprinting up the hill and towards her tent. Their secret was safe, for now.

At the sudden change of Eren’s attention, Levi also glanced back. Mikasa was now out of sight, but that didn’t stop Eren’s heart-rate from skyrocketing. Not that it wasn’t already racing.

When Levi faced him again, his right eyebrow was raised and a sarcastic smirk lit his face. Somehow, this expression was the most terrifying of all.

“You were distracting me from something, weren’t you?” Levi said slowly. He took a calculated step back into Eren’s personal space. They didn’t touch, but the memory of when they had was heavy in Eren’s mind.

“N- No.” Eren stuttered, his eyes downcast as he shuffled backwards. Water sloshed around them. Levi followed, stalking him like a cat stalks a mouse. He was even closer now. The young soldier was mortified when he shivered. Lust shot through him like lightning. He bit his lip to hold in a gasp. 

Levi leaned in. Eren tensed. He felt like he was about to spontaneously combust.

“I don’t like secrets.” Levi whispered, then turned. 

"I- I wasn't..." Eren stuttered, frozen in place as Levi exited the lake. 

“Trust me, Yeager, I’ll find out what you don’t want me to know.” Levi said, standing naked and glorious under the moon’s delicate glow.  “Sooner or later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to read this self-indulgent trash. I am having FAR too much fun writing this fic. If you are having fun reading it, please let me know! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get serious as Eren, Mikasa and their friends begin to understand what they are really training for.
> 
> WARNING: Mentions of Rape/Non-Con.

A lynched corpse swung like a piñata between three intoxicated Huns. It's empty blue eyes hung loose in its sockets. The sound of screaming, violence and death had long since been replaced with merriment. Soon, the Huns would destroy the town with fire, then move on.

Of Annie’s five hundred men, a little over two hundred remained. Not a soul, Imperial Soldier or otherwise, had survived the organised carnage she and her army had rained down upon the village.

At least, that was what she had thought.

The sound of childlike whimpering carried on the wind. Annie tilted her head curiously and sought the source of the sound. When the whimpering escalated to pleading, then high-pitched screams, it became a much easier task.

The sound originated from a small hut at the outskirts of town. The door creaked on its hinges as she stepped inside.

“Bitch!” A man with broad shoulders and a square jaw cursed as he slapped a young woman so brutally that her head snapped backwards. She tumbled to the ground. Her clothes were ripped, exposing her bruised torso and breasts. It was clear that, if she hadn’t already been raped, she was about to be. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen, Annie observed with detached fury.

Memories flowed over Annie like a wave. Grabbing hands. Sweaty skin. Heavy breathing. Her quiet pleading to ‘ _please, stop, please leave me alone’_. It had been years, but the memories never faded. 

The man wrapped his hands around the girl’s neck and pulled her to her feet. Silent tears stained with blood from a wound above her eyebrow poured down the girl's pale cheeks. With the last of her strength, she spat in the Huns face.

That simple act of defiance was enough to bring Annie back to the present. In an instant, she had slipped a blade hidden in a sling along her forearm between the lower ribs of the rapists back. His body stiffened with surprise. Annie replied by thrusting the blade deeper and twisting. There was a satisfying POP as she punctured his lung. His final breath gasped from his lips. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Annie caught the terrified gaze of the young girl. She was visibly quivering and was in too much shock to pull her dress closed for modesty. With a loud sigh, Annie ripped off her jacket and tossed it at the girl. 

“You should run, before any of my men decide to finish what  _he_  started.”

The girl didn’t need to be told twice.

Annie watched the girl flee, her jacket clutched tightly around her shoulders as she tore through the snow. Anyone would think she had been uncharacteristically merciful, but Annie knew herself better.

Every village the girl came across would soon have word that the Hun Army was approaching through the Tung Shao Pass and was only two hundred men strong. They would have no idea an additional fifteen hundred men were waiting deeper in the Pass.

Annie smiled grimly as the girl disappeared into the snow. The pathetic remnants of the Imperial Army wouldn’t know what hit them.

***

Eren was too exhausted to panic.

Captain Levi had taken them through gruelling training exercises for the last seven days. Upwards of ten hours of training each day took its toll on their bodies. Bruises, muscle strains and pulls, hairline fractures and broken bones were common. The soldiers who failed out of training were sent home in dishonour. Many pretended they weren’t injured to stay in the Army. At least if they died on the battlefield their families would be taken care of.

If training to fight Huns in the Imperial Army wasn’t stressful enough, Mikasa seemed to be doing everything in her power to draw attention. As a woman posing as a man in the Imperial Army, it was the last thing she should be doing. Every day she excelled further beyond her comrades. She had doubled Eren’s record of scaling the totem to reach the arrow, was running five kilometres with thirty-kilogram weights on her shoulders every morning, had managed to shoot a couple of projectiles out of the sky with a bow and arrow and was scaling the steep learning curve when fighting Hange with a sword.

On the third day of training she became the one and only confirmed member of Levi’s squad; and was about as subtle as a sledgehammer with her success. It had been four days since, and Eren was pushing his body to the absolute limit to join her at the top. But, no matter how hard he fought, he could only watch in her shadow.

Because Eren didn’t have enough on his plate already, Levi had made it clear that he would not be satisfied until he had unearthed his secret. A secret which, if discovered, would lead to the sibling’s execution.

So, when Eren said he was too exhausted to panic, it meant he was really  _fucking_  exhausted.

“Soldiers!”

The trainees all wore the standard loose cream garb of the Imperial Army. Mikasa, the only one to earn a place on Levi’s squad, wore black and green. They fell into line. Armin and Connie stood beside Eren, and Jean was further along. Levi's dark eyes seemed to pierce into the depths of their souls as he addressed the remnants of the training squad. Of the almost forty men to begin, only nineteen remained. 

“Your progress is disappointing.” Levi said.

Eren’s stomach clenched.  _What else was he going to throw at them_? They had been training since sunrise. Now, the failing light cast long shadows across the oval. Eren’s back was aching, his joints swollen and his muscles screaming. Every step he took was a gamble.  _Would he fall this time? No. Maybe this time…_

“I think it’s time to increase the stakes.” Levi glanced at Mikasa, then back to the squad, his expression unusually grim. “Tonight, we are going to play a game.”

Eren shifted uncomfortably and looked at Armin, who sent a glance of alarm. Connie huffed under his breath and whispered; “That doesn’t sound good.”

“The game will determine your future in the Imperial Army.”

Hange, who stood slightly behind Levi, straightened at the mention of the game. “Captain, are you sure? We’ve already lost so many soldiers…”

“Anyone who cannot handle this level of training would never stand a chance against the Huns.” Levi said. “Better they go home a failure than die a hero.” 

An unexpected wave of fury bloomed in Eren’s chest.

They hadn’t chosen to be here!  _One man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army_ , that was the LAW. Those were the words which had changed Eren from a carefree farmers son into something that he simply was not. He was not raised to be a soldier. He was not physically gifted. He was not strategically brilliant. He wasn’t strong or fast or dangerous. He was not Mikasa. He was Eren, and he was tired.

He wanted to fall to his knees and weep. To curl into a ball and sleep. But he could do neither, because he had to protect Mikasa. Even though she required no protection from him, he couldn’t leave her. It was cosmically unfair.

“Hey,” Armin’s quiet voice startled Eren from his emotional downward spiral. He glanced to his left and offered a shaky smile at the blonde-haired soldier. “Are you alright?”

Before Eren had a chance to lie, Levi called his name.

“Yeager, step forwards.”

Eren’s knees wobbled as he took two careful steps forwards. Levi’s lip twitched, and Eren’s mind went wild with all the possible tortures he had planed for them.

“You… are IT.”

There was a long beat of silence. Levi’s blank expression was impassable.

“Excuse me, Captain?” He must have misheard. 

“You are IT, and it is your job to TAG as many of your comrades as possible. If they are TAGGED, they too become IT. The final trainee to remain UNTAGGED will receive a prize.”

Eren laughed, then kept on laughing until his ribcage rattled and his cheeks ached.

“Are you mocking my order, soldier?” Levi growled, and Eren straightened. The smile didn’t vanish from his face.

“No sir!”

“Good. Let the games begin.”

***

Eren’s long list of problems were pushed into the back of his mind as he chased his comrades around the oval. It was no ordinary game of Tag. Punches were thrown. People were kicked, tripped and tackled. It was brutal, and the most fun Eren had had in years.

Levi and Hange talked and observed nearby from a log at the edge of the oval. The totem with the arrow stood proudly behind them and their tents a few meters beyond that. They both had a beer in each hand.

Mikasa was the only soldier brave, or stupid, enough to ask if she could have a drink. Levi decided that if they were old enough to kill Huns, they were old enough to have a beer. Soon, the nineteen soldiers which remained were sitting and standing around the log drinking and talking loudly over one another until conversation was almost indistinguishable amidst the rabble.

“Connie, why did you have to tackle me like that.” Jean grumbled as he wiped at the mud which stained his training gear. They were all covered head to toe in grass stains, dirt and the occasional spilled beer.

“War is Hell.” Connie shrugged and slurped loudly.

“Yeah, suck it up, princess.” Eren said.

"Shut your mouth, Yeager." Jean muttered. 

“It was aaah well-executed tackle.” Mikasa’s words were already slurring. Eren leaned over to take her beer, but she scowled and elbowed him away.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Eren laughed. He couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

“Leave him be. Mike is the only one giving me compliments. Here, have some more.” Connie said as he poured half his beer into Mikasa’s empty glass.

“Thaaanks.” Mikasa smirked at Eren and continued to drink at an alarming rate. The only one more drunk than Mikasa was Armin. 

“I LOVE you guys.” The blonde cooed as he flopped his arms around Eren and Mikasa, slipped, and fell face-first into the mud.  

The sudden influx of laughter was silenced by the beating of a drum. The sound resonated in Eren’s chest like thunder. Quickly approaching hoofbeats echoed in the night.  

“Captain, that’s…” Hange’s smiling face was suddenly ashen.

“I know.” Levi replied, his eyes narrowing. He dropped his beer, turned and broke into a surprisingly fast run. He didn’t get far before he was intercepted by a man on a horse.

“What is the meaning of this?” Levi spat at the stranger, who was many ranks above him if his bright yellow cape with the crest of the Emperor’s Guard embroided on the back was any indication.

Eren watched the exchange, as did the other soldiers, with a feeling of dread in their bellies. That sound. That terrible, rhythmic beating. That was the sound signalling for troops to be deployed into battle, but there were no soldiers at this camp, only trainees.

“The Huns have defeated our troops in the Tung Shao Pass. All remaining soldiers are to be deployed  _immediately_.” The man on the horse was panting, as if he had been riding hard and fast all day.

“These men have only been training for seven days.” Levi began, but was interrupted.

“Every able-bodied man will fight, and die, for his country. These orders come directly from the Emperor. Their brave sacrifice will be honoured.”

“I didn’t train these men to be cannon fodder.” Levi growled. “Don’t speak as if they are already dead.”

“Your squad will be stationed at the mouth of the Tung Shao Pass. The General will be expecting you there in three days.” The man on the horse spoke, ignoring Levi’s fury. Then, he turned his horse and spurred it onward until the sound of hoofbeats were inaudible over the beating of the drums.

Levi stood in place for a long time. Motionless and silent as the drums continued to echo in every soldier’s skull.

Eren’s mouth tasted like ash and his heart was racing like a hummingbird’s wings. He looked at Mikasa. A moment ago, she had been laughing and dopey with the effects of alcohol. Now her face was cold and hard. He could practically see the visions of the Huns slaughtering her blood family reflected in her eyes.

Connie was sitting across from Jean, both had their eyes downturned and their hands clasped in their laps to hide their shaking. They finished their drinks together.

Armin was closest to Eren. At the sound of the drum he had struggled to his knees. His face was hidden in his hands and his shoulders shuddered. Eren placed a hand on his back, taking and receiving comfort. Eren was surprised he was sober enough to understand what was happening. 

The whiplash from laughter to despair was not something Eren’s mind could process. He stood, his hand on Armin’s shoulder and his eyes focused on his sister’s grim expression. He had known that this day would come, but he had hoped to have more than seven days of training under his belt before he, Mikasa and their friends were sent to fight and kill the most terrifying enemy any of them could imagine.

The first one to move was Hange. He approached Levi cautiously and spoke into his ear. Eren couldn’t hear what he said, but Levi’s response was clear and pierced the cool night.

“The Emperor can bite my ass!”

A high-pitched, mildly hysterical giggle escaped Connie’s lips. There was a long moment of silence before the whole training squad was roaring with laughter. The sheer ridiculousness of Levi’s response broke through their terror. It was as if the last few moments hadn’t happened. The drums seemed to fade into the distance as their Captain stormed towards them.

“Congratulations, brats. The Emperor thinks you are as useful as a pile of shit on the battlefield.” Levi scowled as he paced through the scattered group of soldiers. “I’d like to prove him wrong.”

“Yeah!” the voices of nineteen untrained, slightly tipsy, soldiers rose loudly into the night. Levi’s eyes widened with surprise, before his mouth twitched at the corners into a grim smile.

“Rest tonight because you might not get the opportunity again for a long time.” Levi said. “We move out at dawn.”

Levi and Hange abandoned the newly-graduated soldiers with haste to talk strategy. While Mikasa stumbled towards the tents alongside Jean and Connie, Eren stood beside the still shivering Armin with his hand firmly between his friend’s shoulder blades. His eyes followed Levi and Hange until they disappeared into Levi’s tent.

“Follow them.” Armin’s voice barely reached Eren’s ears over the sound of drums.

“What?”

Armin shrugged Eren’s hand off his shoulders.

“I can see your doubts as clearly as I can feel my own.” Armin’s eyes were pooling with tears. He seemed suddenly so lucid that Eren wondered if he had been playing up his drunkenness for his friends. “Follow them.”

Eren didn’t need to be told twice. He nodded seriously and chased after the fleeting forms of Levi and Hange. If anyone noticed him leave the group, nobody called out to question or stop him.

He stepped carefully as he came alongside the tent. When he grew close, he dropped to his belly and crawled to prevent his shadow from being visible against the side.

He was lying barely a metre from the side of the tent. Hange and Levi’s silhouettes were cast against the side of the tent thanks to a flickering candle inside. Their voices were low, but Eren could hear them easily.

“This is bullshit.” Levi spat.

“It’s the Emperor’s orders.” Hange responded calmly.

“Those boys won’t last ten minutes against the Huns.” Levi went silent. Eren thought he heard a thud as Levi collapsed into his cot. “I don’t want to watch my soldiers get slaughtered. Not again.”

“That’s your job.”

Tears collected in Eren’s eyes. Hange’s words were delivered with the weight of a thousand shared battles. They had both lost so much, and now they were about to lose some more.

“I should retire.” Levi said.

“It would be a great loss to the Imperial Army if you did.”

Levi half-laughed in response. “I meant I should go to sleep. You should too, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow.”

Hange paused briefly before responding. “What makes you think I’m coming with you?”

“Aren’t you?” Levi’s tone suggested the question was more rhetorical than genuine.

“I have more important things to do than monitor your troops progress, Captain.”

“Four-eyes, don’t treat me like a fool.” Levi said. “I know the Emperor sent you to keep an eye on me.”

There was another pause. Eren rolled closer, then froze as his arm pressed lightly against the yellow fabric. He jolted backwards and prayed neither of them had noticed the slight sway to the canopy.

“Can you blame him after what happened with the General?” Hange said quietly.

“I made a mistake, and I paid for that mistake. Do you want to see the whip marks?”

“Christ, Levi. He whipped you?”

“I deserved it.”

Eren heard Hange take a deep breath before he replied. “Yes, I suppose you did.”

Eren bit his tongue.  _How could Hange, of all people, say that?!_  

“Goodnight, Captain.” Hange exited the tent and walked towards a group of disoriented soldiers. He quickly broke up the festivities and sent them scrambling to their beds.

Eren’s heart went out to Levi while his mind furiously tried to figure out what the Captain could have possibly done that was so bad even an old friend agreed that he deserved to be horribly beaten by his own father?

The noise died down as the soldiers dispersed and the creatures of the night began to emerge. Eren lay as still as possible, waiting for his chance to sneak back to his tent. What felt like hours passed while Levi alternated between pacing the length of his tent and scribbling on parchment.

Eventually, Levi blew out his candle and the campsite fell into near darkness. Finally, Eren was free to move. He started crawling forwards, carefully avoiding the posts of Levi’s tent. When he was far enough away he found his feet and stretched his stiff back.

“Ahem.”

“Shit!” Eren almost jumped out of his skin at the low cough directly behind him.

“Shit is right. Did you learn anything while eavesdropping on your superior’s private conversation, brat?” Levi was nonchalant. His arms were crossed over his chest and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Eren’s discomfort. It occurred to Eren that he had been making him wait outside the tent, and his tongue tied itself in knots.

“Ah… I… ah…”

“Don’t give yourself a nosebleed. I wouldn’t have let you overhear anything important.”

Eren discovered that he had lost the ability to speak. His throat closed, his tongue lolling about uselessly behind his teeth. It took all his energy to keep from hyperventilating as all the emotions he had suppressed since the drums had begun to beat caught up with him.

Levi’s words echoed in his skull.

_“Those boys won’t last ten minutes against the Huns.”_

“Yeager, are you alright?” Eren would have laughed if he could only suck air into his lungs. Of course, he wasn’t alright. He was going to die. They were all going to die! His knees buckled. He clutched his chest and began gasping for breath.

“Shit.” Levi sighed.

Eren winced when the Captain’s hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him to his feet. Eren was taller than Levi by almost a foot, so there was only so far he could pull before Eren had to stand on his own. But he couldn’t get his legs to cooperate. He kept flopping back to his knees.

Giving up on the manhandling approach, Levi crouched beside Eren. He was careful to keep his knees from touching the filthy ground. The first slap, more of a gentle pat on the face, barely registered in Eren’s panic-riddled mind. The second one snapped his head around, but did nothing to lessen his fear. His face stung where the imprint of Levi’s hand grew red.

“Stubborn, aren’t you?” Levi said. “What if I told you that Hange cross-dresses when he’s off duty.”

Eren’s mind went completely blank. He blinked once… twice… three times as his mind compiled a series of horrifying images of Hange wearing pink, frilly gowns with long skirts and petticoats. This cross-dressing Hange smiled, pulled his glasses down his nose and winked at Eren.

“Re- really?”

Levi smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing Eren had ever seen. That smile alone was enough to pull him back from the edge of insanity.

“No, not really. I’ve found that if the mind is distracted with an unexpected image it forgets it’s panicking. Hange in a dress is about as unexpected as it gets.”

“Besides you in a dress.” Eren blushed as he realised he had said those words out loud.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.” Levi said as he helped Eren to his feet. He was still shaking, but at least he could breathe now.

“Captain, I’m going to die.”

Levi nodded. It should have sent Eren back into a panic, but somehow the casual acceptance of his mortality was soothing.

“We are all going to die; us sooner than most.” Levi said. His face had returned to its usual cold mask, and a shiver ran the length of Eren’s spine.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Fear doesn’t help me kill Huns.”

For the briefest second, something akin to doubt flickered in Levi’s eyes. If Eren hadn’t been watching the Captain’s face closely, he would have missed it.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Eren said.

Levi scowled. He stepped into Eren’s personal space in a mirror of their positions in the lake a week earlier. “You don’t know when to quit.”

“No offense, sir, but you are a whole lot less terrifying now that I know I’ll be facing Huns in a few days.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “In that case, tell me what you were distracting me from the night in the lake.”

Eren stiffened. His lips pressed together in a thin line.

“I didn’t think you would. Whatever it was, it’s clearly worth dying for.” Levi said, stepping back so Eren had room to breathe. He had no idea just how close to the truth he was with that statement.

“Remember what you are fighting for, Yeager.” He said as he left the young soldier with a mindful of doubts and a few strings of hope. “You aren’t dead yet.”

***

Levi was right, Eren wasn’t dead yet. Just one of several things Eren’ wasn’t. He wasn’t a competent fighter. He wasn’t confident. He wasn’t strong. He wasn’t brave. But, most importantly, he wasn’t on Levi’s squad.

If seven days of training with the man had taught him anything, it was that Captain Levi only accepted the very best. Of the nineteen soldiers which remained, only one of them met his standards; Mikasa. The rest, including Eren, were dead weight. Literally.

His chest tightened. He pictured charging into battle, only to be immediately cut down. He imagined Levi fighting and dying to protect the young men (and one woman) he had trained. He imagined Mikasa having to fight over his corpse. The images piled on top of each other until the horror dulled and was replaced with fury. He didn't want anyone to die because of his incompetency. 

He was furious. With himself. With the Huns. With the Emperor. War was cruel and unfair and NOT HIS PROBLEM. The fury hit him like a bolt of lightning, and was more motivating than anything.

In that moment, he knew only one thing. If he and Mikasa were going to die, they were going to die together. For that to happen, Eren needed to earn a place on Levi’s squad. He craned his neck to glare at the untouched arrow wedged at the peak of the totem, then looked down to the weights which were in a wooden case at his feet.

He groaned as he lifted the weights. His already aching muscles protested as he swung his arms around the totem. He leaned back, pulling tightly on the ties which held the weights, then began to climb.

Everything hurt and he felt like he was dying, but he kept pushing himself higher and higher. Before, he had believed that time was on his side, that he had months of training before he would have to face the Huns. Now, that ideal had been shattered. He had a few hours before the sun rose. He had to reach the arrow and earn a place on Levi’s squad before then so he could fight and likely die beside his sister. That was all that mattered.

He cried out when his arms slipped. His butt collided painfully with the ground. He had managed a few metres before his body gave up.

“God damnit.” Eren hissed. He pounded the ground with his fist as frustrated tears welled in his eyes.

“Don’t give up.” Mikasa’s voice was soft and carried on the wind. Eren spun around. _How long had she been watching?_

“I can’t do it.” He cried, wiping at the dampness on his cheeks. He wasn’t ashamed to cry in front of family.

“You don’t have a choice.” She said. “I’m not strong enough to go into battle without you by my side.”

Eren laughed around his tears. “You are stronger than I will ever be.”

“Only in some ways. In others, you will always outshine me.” She said. “So, get up. I’m not leaving until you’ve reached the top.”

Eren met her intense stare and asked the same question he had asked Levi moments earlier. “Aren’t you scared?”

“More than I’ve ever been.” She replied. “Which is why I need you with me. We are stronger together.”

Eren nodded and struggled to his feet. “I swear, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Mikasa smiled sadly. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”  

***

Sweat poured along Eren’s arms and down his back. He should have been in terrible pain. He had been climbing all morning, steadily inching higher and higher before tumbling back to the ground. He felt nothing but numb determination. He was going to succeed.

The cool dampness of the night was fading as the sun rose. A slight tinge of orange could be seen glinting off the top of the arrow. It was so close. Inches from his face. His breath puffed in short bursts as he pulled himself further up the pole.

“Come on Eren!” Armin’s voice surprised him. He slid a few feet down the pole, but caught himself before he fell.

“Yes, go Eren!” “Wow, he’s so high!” “Almost there!” “Keep going.”

The encouragement came in waves. The voices were familiar. Armin, Connie, Jean and the other soldiers. Mikasa was silent. She was watching with her arms crossed and her fingers digging painfully into her forearms. They both knew if he fell from this height, he might never get back up again.

He gritted his teeth and pulled himself back to his original position. The crowd cooed in excitement. One more pull and he would be there. The skin of his thighs was raw where it gripped the wood. He tightened his knees, slipped the weights over the top of the totem and dragged himself the final foot. His head collided with the arrow. He wobbled.

The soldiers below went silent.

His hands slipped. Sweat dripped into his eyes. His arms shook under the strain of keeping him from falling. The wind picked up, and the totem began to sway. Eren heard muffled curses. Nobody thought he could do it. They thought he was going to fall.

_Screw them._

He released a mighty wail as he let his weight rest on one arm and used the other to rip the arrow free of the wood. It felt solid and hot in his grip. The crowd went wild.

Eren had never felt more alive. Hours of physical torture drained away. He climbed and balanced on the small surface at the top. When he looked down, he saw nineteen untrained soldiers leaping for joy and shouting with excitement. Mikasa was on her knees, crying. He had never seen Mikasa cry before. A smile split his face. 

Levi tore out of his tent. “What the Hell is going on?”

Nineteen soldiers pointed to the sky.

With a smile as wide as his face, Eren waved his prize in the air.

Levi was too far away to see, but Eren knew the man was scowling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This chapter was mostly setting the scene for the next chapter and was much longer than I intended for it to be (and SO much dialogue - sorry!). 
> 
> I apologize in advance for the next chapter. Things are going to get dark. 
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading and for all of your lovely comments. You are making me so happy. :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has his first brush with War.

Annie squinted into the sun. She and her men approached Reiner, Bertholt and the Hun Army on horses. Black smoke towered behind them and left a sour taste in the back of their throats.

This was the seventeenth village they had burned to the ground.

“Report.” Reiner said.

“The Imperial Army have evacuated nearby villages and gathered their soldiers at the mouth of the Tung Shao Pass.” Annie said. “They are the last line of defence between us and the Emperor.”

The sport of hunting civilians had been lost since the Imperial Army evacuated the highland villages. Annie was quietly relieved. She had grown tired of killing young girls to save them from a far worse fate at the hands of her men. She may lead the Huns, but she held no illusions about her capacity to change them. They were barbarians and rapists through and through. What she had done was mercy.

“Estimated numbers?” Bertholt asked, his horse stirring and its nostrils flaring at the scent of smoke.

“Close to five hundred men, with more arriving every hour.” Annie shrugged. “Trainees mostly.”

“Who leads them?” Bertholt asked. Despite the chilly weather, his face and neck gleamed with a nervous sweat.

“General Kenny Ackerman.” Annie knew the news wasn’t going to please her comrades, but she wasn’t expecting Reiner to curse and pound his fist roughly into his horse’s flank. The gentle beast, used to torment, barely flinched.

“He’s just a man.” Annie reasoned. “Take him out and the Imperial Army crumbles.”

“How do you propose we do that?” Reiner hissed, eyes wild with fear. “Five hundred _children_ led by General Ackerman could defeat us.”

Annie had heard enough. While she had been bloodying her hands with innocent lives, Reiner and Bertholt had been strolling through the highlands tormenting lost civilians. She had delivered them _every_ victory and was still considered a pawn in their master plan. It was beyond insulting.

She pulled Reiner off his horse. If it weren’t for her steady grip, he would have fallen face first into the snow, which was piling higher with each passing day. She twisted her grip on his fur cape and tugged until they were nose to nose. The spark of fear in his eyes almost made the countless murders at her hands worthwhile.

“Five hundred children led by General Ackerman could defeat YOU.” Annie spoke loudly so every man could witness Reiner’s humiliation. “But he’s never fought an army led by _me_.”

***

“I’ve got a girl back home who’s unlike any other.” Jean said.

Eren, Mikasa, Connie and Armin groaned in unison.

Jean wouldn’t shut up about his presumably imaginary girlfriend, and the entire training squad had heard enough. Their feet throbbed, and their backs ached. They had been walking for three days and were still at least a half day out from their destination. Their group of nineteen had joined with a few smaller training groups along the way and were walking in a convoy of a little under one hundred men. Everyone was surly.

To make things worse, the weather was dismal.

As if foreseeing their haste, the skies had darkened, and temperatures dropped the moment they packed up the training camp three days earlier. They had stuffed tents, rations, swords, cannons, bows and arrows and countless supplies into a series of wagons, strapped them to horses and were on the move. Within hours of beginning their long march to the Tung Shao Pass, the snow began to fall. It had been delicate at first, a novelty, but three days later it was wet and heavy where it stuck to their boots and clothes.

It would be easier if they were all atop horses, but horses were a precious commodity and primarily used to pull the wagons. Only Levi and Hange rode throughout the day, while the rest of the men relied on their feet as a mode of transport.

“She has eyes which shine like stars… and adores my battle scars…”

“Somebody stop him, he’s starting to rhyme.” Armin said.

“Any minute now he’ll break into song.” Connie added.

Eren snorted, then swallowed his smile when Levi came tearing towards them atop a brown and white speckled stallion. The Captain didn’t seem capable of trotting. He was confident in the saddle and chose to canter wherever he went. His dark hair bounced as he approached.

“You two, with me now.” He ordered before turning his horse and heading back the way he came. He didn’t slow until he reached the front of the parade, which appeared to have come to a standstill at the base of a hill. Black smoke marred the horizon.

Eren and Mikasa shared a glance, before they broke into a run. Armin, Jean and Connie were too curious not to take chase as well. 

At the front of the line, Levi’s horse stood alongside three others which were saddled and ready to go. He watched the steadily rising black smoke with a furrowed brown. He seemed unsurprised by the presence of the additional soldiers.

“You two, saddle up.” He said, his eyes never leaving the horizon. “And you, Arlert.”

“M… Me, sir?” Armin stuttered. His eyes bugged out of his head and his face turned purple as if he had suddenly forgotten how to breathe.

“Are you the kid who won TAG by pretending to be IT from the beginning?” Levi said, finally turning his head to stare down at the small mob of soldiers.

Armin blushed. “Yes…”

“That was clever. I said that game would determine your future in the Imperial Army, I wasn’t lying.” Levi said.

“It was a trick!” Armin said.

“A clever trick. Welcome to Squad Levi. Now quit arguing and get your arse on a horse.” Levi growled then spurred his stallion forwards. His words were harsh, but no more than normal. He rode to the peak of the hill where Hange was waiting, not bothering to check if his soldiers followed.

Eren watched Armin swallow, an almost visible tug-a-war with his fears streaking across his face, before he placed his hand on the warm flank of the nearest horse and jumped into the saddle. Eren and Mikasa followed on their own mounts, leaving Connie and Jean behind looking somewhat dejected.

A sick feeling of dread pooled in Eren’s gut as they rode up the hill. At the top, Levi and Hange were facing the source of the black smoke with grim expressions. The wind changed direction as they crested the hill, and the young soldiers received a face full of black smoke.

Eren spluttered and wiped his stinging eyes. When he finally blinked his vision back into focus, he wished the smoke had blinded him.

He wanted to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate in the presence of such complete destruction. The village was once home for over three hundred civilians. Now, those civilians lay dead at the base of the hill. Their freshly butchered bodies piled high in neat little semi-circles around the perimeter of the still flaming village. Several charred bodies were in an inner circle amidst the burned buildings. In the center was a modest brick church burning brightly like a lit torch.

The crackling sound of flames was deafening. Eren didn’t want to think about the stench. It wasn’t unlike freshly cooked meat. His stomach turned. 

Something was wrong with the scene, but he was too shocked to make sense of it. Armin, however, understood immediately. He tumbled off his horse and vomited into the snow.

“Armin!” Eren and Mikasa leapt off their horses and ran to his side. Mikasa pulled Armin’s long blonde hair out of his face as he heaved. When he looked up, tears were streaming down his face.

“The children…” Armin said, leaning on Eren and Mikasa for support.

“I know.” Levi replied, his eyes sad even though his face remained fixed in its cold mask.

“What children?” Eren asked dumbly. He felt like he was talking from far away, as if he were outside his own body.

He braved a glance down the hill once more and studied the corpses which were neatly arranged in two circles around the church. The flames inside the church increased in intensity. The inner circle of bodies was charred black, and the outer had been butchered with swords. They were all adult bodies.

“Captain, where are the children?

“Yeager, it’s too late.” Levi said.

Eren didn’t understand. Too late for what? 

He was about to ask again when sudden movement from his left sent he and Armin tumbling to the ground.

Mikasa shoved them before she ran for her horse. She leapt atop the beast in one fluid motion and was shooting down the hill towards the burning church before she had both feet in the stirrups.

“Mike!” Armin cried. It was lucky, because Eren was too shocked to remember Mikasa’s alter-ego. He had been a second away from exposing them both.

“Stop!” Levi’s voice boomed half a second before he cursed and took chase.

In the same instant, the wind changed direction and Eren saw movement inside the church. He snapped back into his body almost painfully as the sound of screaming finally broke past his horror. He had found the children.

Eren had never felt completely comfortable around horses, but that fear paled in comparison to his all-consuming horror. He jumped back into the saddle and kneed his mount into action. They tore down the gentle incline dangerously fast, uncaring to the unstable ground or the slippery snow. He came alongside Levi, to the Captain’s complete surprise, then overtook him. Soon, he was side-by-side with Mikasa, who had the expression on her face she always did when she spoke of her family’s murder at the hands of Huns.

She looked at him, as if daring that he try and stop her. His only response was to shake his head. That wasn’t why he was here.

Together, the Yeager siblings ran at speed into the burning village. They leapt over the first circle of bodies; the brave men and women who had fought the Huns to give the children a chance to hide. The moment of weightlessness before the horse’s hoofs hit the stone ground was eerily still. These civilians had died before they could witness a small group of Huns pour propellant over the church, barricade the doors and light a match.

The wind picked up, whipping hair into Eren’s eyes and sending gushes of black smoke billowing towards them. He inhaled, the smoke burning his throat and making his chest heavy. Visibility was poor, but they didn’t slow.

The second circle was an easier hurdle. Not as many had survived the initial slaughter. These people had died trying to save the children.

“What’s the plan?” Eren shouted, his eyes stinging from the smoke.

“I saw movement near the Northern wall of the church. If we knock it down…”

“Got it.”

The flames melted the snow, which drained down the pavement like a river. Eren wished he had removed his outer layers before jumping atop his horse. He was sweating more and more the closer they got to the inferno.

Suddenly, there was a deafening BOOM and the flames inside the church propelled outwards. Glass shattered and Eren and Mikasa’s horses reared backwards. They both held on for their lives.

Mikasa regained control of her horse first and shouted to Eren to meet her at the Northern wall.

Eren was too busy wrestling with his horse to respond. When he finally managed to point it back towards the church, another explosion sent him flying. The melting snow softened his fall, but his head collided with something hard on impact. His vision went grey.

_Mikasa…_

He was conscious enough to watch his horse flee.

Heat seared his left side. The dull pain keeping him conscious. He dragged himself away from the heat and rolled onto his back before pushing himself into a sitting position.

The church was ablaze in a fireball so intense that anyone inside could not possibly survive.

_Mikasa…_ He had to find her.

He stood. Blood trickled down his face from a cut at his temple and stained the collar of his shirt. His head throbbed with every step towards the church. It was getting hot. Too hot.

She was at the Northern wall, she had to be.

_Mikasa…_

“Yeager!” Levi grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him onto his horse. Eren blinked, surprised to find himself sitting in a saddle once more. He gripped Levi’s shoulders for balance. The Captain was unbelievably strong.

“Where is your brother?”

“The North Wall.”

They tore around the crumbling building and leapt over collapsed brick walls until they were facing the Northern side of the church. Eren saw nothing but smoke and fire.

“What are you waiting for?” Eren hissed, shoving Levi in the side.  

“Don't be an idiot. I’m not losing you too.”

Eren had heard enough. Levi’s deliberation was logical but clashed with Eren’s desperate need to find Mikasa. This was taking too long.

“Wait, Eren!” Eren felt Levi’s fingers brush the back of his cloak, but he was too slow to hold him back.

Eren ground his teeth, offered a silent prayer to whichever Gods were listening, and ran headfirst into the thick black smoke.

“Mike!” Eren was shouting, his arms outstretched as he blindly navigated the rubble. He winced as walls crumbled and stray bricks bounced off his shoulders. It was searingly hot, but his layers of furs offered protection against the deadly flames.

“Mike!” His voice was hoarse, and he couldn’t seem to pull enough air into his lungs.

When he fell, a surprised squeak escaped his scratchy throat. He collided with something solid. He quickly realised he had fallen against a polished altar. When he looked down, two young faces painted grey with ash stared up at him.

Eren gaped, stunned. _How could anyone survive this_ , he wondered, _and where the Hell was Mikasa_?

“Where are the others?” Eren asked. The two survivors, no older than five and genderless beneath layers of soot and thick coats, blinked at him in response.

There was a loud crash. Eren anticipated the falling wall and leapt to cover the children with his body. Bricks cascaded over his spine and something sharp dug into his side. The heat increased tenfold. He was out of time.

“Mike!” Eren’s voice was lost amidst the cacophony.

He pulled the two survivors into his arms and, staying as low as possible, he backtracked through thick smoke. Along the way, they passed crumpled heaps of small, still bodies. He couldn’t think about them. The two young ones in his arms were the priority. And Mikasa, wherever she was.

“Mike!” The smoke thinned significantly once he emerged from the church walls. His eyes were bloodshot and his vision was flickering in and out of focus. All he could do was focus on each individual step amd keep the squirming children hugged tightly against his sides.

“Mike!”

“Get down!” Eren was tackled from behind moments before the third and final fireball engulfed the church. The walls exploded outwards and flaming debris rained upon them.

Levi rolled off Eren, pulled him to his feet and yanked his arm so brutally that he almost dislocated his shoulder. It took half a second for Eren to plant his feet. One of the kids whimpered.

“Idiot, we need to run. The fire is closing in from all sides.” Levi said.

Eren looked up, finally registering the fallout of the exploding church. The village was ablaze. Soon, there would be no escape. They would share the same fate as the children.  

_But where was Mikasa?_

“I need to find my brother.”

Levi’s jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together. “I’m sorry for this.”

Before Eren could ask what for, something hard crashed into his temple and he was swallowed by the void.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say this every chapter, and I mean it every chapter. 
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING. :D
> 
> Sorry about the cliffhanger... I decided to split what I planned to be chapter four into two chapters. The next installment shall be out soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the remnants of the burning village, Eren comes to terms with everything he has lost, and everything he could still lose.

In the valley far below Annie's position atop a towering cliff, the remnants of the Imperial Army fought a losing battle. With General Ackerman’s direction the Imperial Forces had cut down hundreds of Hun soldiers. His strategy, genius and constantly warping formations made it almost impossible to predict his movements, or the movements of his soldiers. Almost.

Annie had watched the first grim hours of battle from the cliff. Patterns were her specialty, and the moment she learned the Generals formula, she leapt atop her horse and rode into battle. Five hundred Huns acted as her personal guard, and all but ten had been sacrificed to reach the General. Now, they had him, and the Imperial Army was crumbling.

“Enjoying the show?” Annie asked the struggling General.

Kenny Ackerman was restrained with a single rope wrapped around his wrists, ankles and neck which pulled together to resemble a hog tied for slaughter. He much taller than she had expected. It had been a challenge to drag him to the top of the cliff face which looked down over the battleground. A challenge which was made much easier after she had broken his arms.

“Does it please you to know that you were the only thing keeping those soldiers alive.” Annie said. “And because you let yourself be captured, they are all going to die.”

Kenny’s eyes flashed and his jaw clenched, but he did not respond.

“You’re no fun.” Annie sighed and kicked the General. He rolled towards the cliff edge. Then, she kicked him again, just for her own pleasure. A high-pitched whine escaped his lips. His eyes widened as he looked over the nearby drop.

Annie scrunched her nose. The man once revered as a genius was pathetic at her feet. She hated it when her heroes (and her enemies – they all amounted to the same thing in the end) lived long enough to disappoint her.

She stood beside the General and watched as the Huns overcame the dwindling Imperial Forces. A few stray soldiers fleeing the scene were shot down or hacked to pieces by her men. HER men. Not Reiner or Bertholdt’s. Pride made a soft smile brighten her face. They had won. SHE had won.

“I’m going to kill you now.” Annie said once the last soldier was gutted. She met Kenny’s stare, which had not lost any fury.

“I respect you, so I won’t drag this out.” She grabbed him by the throat with both hands, pulled so she supported his weight, and quickly snapped his neck. She took no pleasure in killing the General. It was a shame to lose such a brilliant military mind.

She said a quiet prayer that he may find peace in the afterlife as she kicked his corpse over the cliff. 

***

“You are the craziest man I’ve ever met.”

Eren groaned. His head was throbbing, and his throat and chest burned like they contained the fire he had so narrowly escaped.

He was too scared to open his eyes. Once he did, he would have to accept a world without Mikasa. He wasn’t ready to do that yet.

“Hange told me you enlisted because your father fled.” Levi growled. “He should have just done his _fucking_ duty. _Fucking_ coward.”

Eren wanted to feel the same fury as Levi, but he was empty. He had tried everything, and it wasn’t enough. Mikasa was dead. He had nothing left to give.

“You ran into that _fucking_ flaming church and pulled out two kids, then tried to go back and save some more.” Levi was cursing from somewhere to Eren’s left. He could hear muffled whispers from the children and the sound of a horse scratching against a tree. A regular warmth bathed his right side, likely a fire if the dull orange glow from behind his eyelids was any indication.

It was too quiet for them to be back with the squad convoy. Eren wondered what had made Levi stop to make camp rather than join them. It didn’t matter, he reminded himself, Mikasa was dead. A single tear slipped down the side of his face. 

There was a grunt and the sound of medical tape ripping. Levi was probably tending to his, or the children’s, wounds.

“And now you are blatantly _fucking_ ignoring me while I fix your _fucking_ psycho sister without so much as a ‘thank you’ you _fucking,_ _shitty_ _brat_.”

Eren had never moved so quickly in his life. His eyes flew open and he shot into a sitting position. His face was damp with tears. 

“Mika…” The words died on his tongue as he caught Levi’s seething glare.

The Captain was on his knees, leaving over Mikasa’s unconscious body. He had removed her outer furs and rolled up her pant legs and sleeves to treat a series of mild to serious burns. The right side of her face was blistered and covered in an indiscriminate paste generously applied by Levi. Her eyebrows were non-existent, and her hair was singed in patches. Eren guessed he didn’t look much better.

“Imagine my surprise when I find your unconscious idiot brother on the way back to the convoy only, _surprise_ , he’s actually your sister.”

Eren swallowed, then winced at the pain in his throat.

" _Fuck_ , don't you have anything to say? She impersonated a soldier and you helped her god- _fucking_ -damnit."

“I’m sorry.” It was a struggle, but Eren managed to force the words past his dry, cracked lips. His heart was racing. Levi was seething with rage, and Eren wasn't sure how to respond. Would he kill them?

“Oh, you’re sorry.” Levi marched to where Eren was sitting. Eren scrambled backwards, but was too weak to run. “You’re sorry.”

In a move almost too fast for Eren to see, Levi gripped the front of his coat and simultaneously pulled a dagger from a sheath at his thigh. The blade point dug dangerously at Eren’s throat. A bead of blood pooled and dribbled down the length of the blade. He was trapped and completely at the Captain’s mercy.

“I should kill you.” Levi said. He paused as if expecting Eren to beg for his life. Eren just stared up into Levi’s dark eyes and waited.

“I should kill you,” He repeated. “and then kill her.”

Eren remained silent, too afraid to swallow lest the movement cause Levi to accidentally sever an artery. He knew Levi was unpredictable, but he wasn’t insane. He wouldn’t have treated Mikasa’s wounds only to kill her. Eren, on the other hand, had no such guarantee.

“ _Fucking_ brat.” Levi sighed, then dropped Eren to the ground. He placed the knife back in its sheath and turned to kick angrily at the burning coals at the edge of the fire.

“Please..." 

“Don’t speak to me, traitor.”

Eren winced. “It wasn’t my idea…”

“I don’t care. You are relieved of your duties.”

“What?” Eren felt like he was going to be sick. He should have been grateful; he didn’t have to fight the Huns anymore. He didn’t have to risk his, or his sister’s lives. This was what he wanted, right?

“Both of you. Go home.” Levi’s mouth was downturned in a scowl as he grabbed his pack and turned towards his horse.

Eren scrambled to stop him. His fingers slipped, then tightened in the Captain’s ash-covered military garb. Levi tensed.

“I want to fight.” Eren said. “I know Mikasa does too.”

“Mikasa, is that her real name.” Levi shrugged and glanced over his shoulder. “Are you so eager to die?”

“We can help.” Eren struggled to his feet. He felt like he was coming back to life, his veins which had recently been full of icy-depression were heating with rage. “Mikasa is the best soldier in our squad.”

“The Huns will crush her like a bug.” Levi said, facing Eren.

“We both earned our place on your squad. We deserve a chance to fight!” Eren started shouting before he could stop himself.  

“What you deserve is a swift execution. If anyone else had found out the truth, you would already be dead.”

“Then kill us.” Eren raised his chin. “Kill me. That’s what it will take to stop me fighting.”

Levi clenched his jaw. “I can’t trust you anymore.”

The Captain knew exactly what to say to crush Eren’s spirit.

“You are reckless, incompetent and have been nothing but a hinderance.” Levi spoke in clear, dull tones. Each word was like a stab to the heart.

“I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Eren was ready to concede, until Levi broke eye contact and growled. “ _Brat_.”

“My name is Eren.”

“What?” Levi’s eyes widened when Eren’s hand fisted in Levi’s dark hair and pulled. The shorter man stumbled forwards and caught himself by gripping the front of Eren’s shirt.

“My name,” Eren said, tugging until Levi’s lips parted in a gasp. “is Eren.”

Eren’s mouth pressed firmly against Levi’s, and the world stopped. The Captain’s lips were warm but still, his body stiff and unresponsive. For a long second Eren thought he had made a horrible mistake, but then he felt Levi’s hands at his waist.

A soft moan broke in Eren’s throat. He loosened his grip in the Captain’s hair and pushed against his shoulders until their chests were flush. He could feet Levi’s breath hitch and, finally, the Captain tilted his head and their mouths locked together.

Blood rushed in Eren’s ears as he slid his hands down Levi’s back. The kiss was suddenly demanding, their lips sliding together in a battle for control. When Eren’s tongue traced the line of Levi’s mouth, the Captain’s fingers tightened at Eren’s waist and his eyes shot open. He pushed Eren back almost violently, their chests heaving in unison.

That sad look which occasionally crossed Levi’s face made a brief appearance before stern control and slight amusement took its place. Eren felt a chill run down the length of his spine.

“What was that supposed to prove?” Levi sneered.

“That you aren’t a complete bastard.” Eren’s confidence crumbled under Levi’s pity-filled smirk.

“I guess your experiment failed.” Levi shrugged and pushed Eren to the ground. Ignoring the young soldier, he bent to pick up his gear, then waved his hand at the two bug-eyed children nearby. They were staring with gaping mouths at the men. “Put those two in an orphanage when you reach the nearest village.”

“You’re going to leave us here?” Eren couldn’t believe it. His mind still whirring from the kiss. He could only watch as Levi packed the saddle with his gear and vaulted onto his horse.

“Walk back the way we came. You’ll reach a village within a few hours.”

“No!” Eren was close to panicking. He lunged for the bridle of Levi’s horse, only to be thrown backwards. A sharp, throbbing pain radiated from his shoulder. When he craned his neck, he was stunned to see the hilt of Levi’s dagger sticking out of his upper arm. Red blood pooled around the wound and stained his shirt. 

“What… Ah! You stabbed me.” 

“Consider it a warning. If you or your idiot sister come anywhere near my battlefield, I’ll kill you.” Levi said before kicking his horse into action. The pounding of hoofs echoed in Eren’s skull as he watched his Captain leave.

***

Eren gazed into the fire, prodding insistently at the embers and occasionally throwing logs atop the pile. Mikasa slept soundly, her soft snoring an unusual comfort amidst the silence of the burned township. The two children sat opposite the fire, whispering to each other to distract themselves from the burned remnants of their home.

His arm throbbed constantly where Levi's dagger had pierced. After Levi disappeared he had ripped the offending blade out and thrown it at his feet. He wanted to toss it into the fire; knowing it would have been a strange comfort to watch the metal warp and melt, but it was his only weapon and he needed it to cut the material to patch up his wound. Once finished, he slipped the blade into his boot absently. 

“Where’s the Captain?” Mikasa’s voice made Eren jump, but he didn’t turn to face her. He was beginning to believe she would never wake.

“He left.”

“When?” She groaned.

“Not long.”

“We have to follow him.” That did make Eren turn.

He frowned at his sister, who had forced herself into a sitting position. She looked like Hell. “He said he’d kill us if he saw us again. He knows you’re a woman.”

“I figured.” Mikasa scowled and gestured in the general vicinity of her chest. The binding which held her breasts down had been torn in the fire. “Kind of hard to miss.”

“Gross.”

Mikasa laughed, and it was the best sound he had heard all day. Suddenly exhausted, Eren wrapped his arms around his sister and squeezed.

“I thought you were dead.” Tears stung his eyes. He didn't bother trying to hide them. His shoulder shook as he shared his turmoil with his sister. 

Mikasa sighed and patted Eren awkwardly on the forearm until he let go.

“I’m not dead, but I will be if we don’t catch up to the Captain.”

“What are you talking about?” Eren grumbled. Just the mention of Levi made Eren feel vaguely unwell. _Why did Levi kiss him back_? He couldn't figure it out. Was the bastard really that manipulative and cruel? He had toyed with Eren’s affections and made him feel stupid, weak and beyond useless. Eren was building up a steady hatred for the man which boiled in his belly. 

“Don’t you find it strange that we haven’t seen any sign of General Ackerman or the Imperial Army?” Mikasa said. Foreboding made Eren break out in a cold sweat. He had been so caught up in his own drama; protecting Mikasa, the burning village and Levi, that he hadn’t thought about the Imperial Army they were supposed to meet.

“This is the first village outside the mouth of the Tung Shao Pass. The fact that it was destroyed before we found the General can only mean one thing.” Mikasa said, her eyes glistening with fear.

“I think the Huns and are already here, and our squad are walking into a trap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the cat's out of the bag! 
> 
> Sorry, but it will probably be cliffhangers until the end now. Expect lots of action in the next two chapters. :D 
> 
> This fic has been so much fun to write so for those who have been patient enough to read chapter by chapter, thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War: from Levi's perspective.

Annie scanned the approaching Imperial Army from high ground. The Hun Army was positioned just over the crest of the steep incline which opened into the mouth of the Tung Shao Pass. Out of sight, and patiently waiting for their time to strike. The chill was relentless, and their horses were up to their ankles in soft, white snow.

The Imperial Army numbered less than two hundred men, Annie estimated. The Hun army of thousands would push them into the afterlife like a wave crashing overhead. It would be natural, and beautiful, and disappointingly easy.

“We have spotted Captain Levi and Counsellor Hange." Reiner said. "They are leading the procession.”

“Good.” Annie nodded. “I want them both alive.”

Bertholdt's eyes almost bugged out of his head and he began choking on his own saliva. “What?!”

“If we have any hope of getting close to the Emperor, we will need them alive.” She said and raised her arm.

Her army fell silent as they waited for her signal. They would crash down the pass as a unit, wild and terrifying. Captain Levi’s men would piss themselves in fear, and their horses would panic and drive them over the deadly cliffs at their back.

Butterflies fluttered in her belly. She couldn’t wait to meet the General’s notoriously disobedient son and show him how to behave.  

“You’re mad if you think they will submit without a fight.” Reiner said.

Annie’s sombre expression lightened in the hope of a challenge.

“One can only hope.” She said and dropped her arm.

***

There were murmurs of concern as Levi led what remained of the Imperial Army into the worst tactical position in China. Their murmurs only increased as his men spotted fallen horses, scattered weapons and bloody armour with the crest of the Imperial Army on the front. A battle had been lost. Levi wasn't surprised, but it was difficult to stomach. Would he spot his father among the piles of corpses? Would he join him? 

“Levi, your father…” Hange began.

“He’s dead.” Levi said, his voice monotonous.

“How do you know?”

“If he were alive, he would be here to gloat.”

Hange paused for a moment before he responded. “You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.” He grumbled and breathed on his hands. It was bloody cold.

“The Huns will be here soon. They are waiting for us to have our backs to the cliff.” Levi spoke so only Hange and Armin could hear, then continued to push his horse to exactly where the Huns wanted him.

Armin’s face paled and his knuckles went white on the reigns of his horse.

“Do you have a plan?” He asked, embarrassed when his voice wavered.

Levi shrugged, his eyes focused on the horizon. The Huns had defeated his father, the General, and the best fighters in the Imperial Army. He had comrades who would have participated in the battle. Would their mangled bodies ever be recovered and identified? He pinched the skin on the back of his hand. He had to focus. 

“Levi, please tell me you have a plan.” Hange hissed but followed nevertheless. They had ridden into similar battles with seemingly no chance of survival and won because of Levi’s brilliant tactics and leadership. Hange trusted he would do everything in his power to protect China, and the Emperor, but feared that this time the sacrifice would be too great.

“I do, but you won’t like it.” Levi stopped his horse, positioning his men at the edge of the cliff. They faced up the pass, and waited.

“When do I like any of your plans?” Hange scoffed.

They didn’t have to wait long. The cheer was enough to send shivers down Armin’s spine. Then, the cheer became a deafening roar as thousands of Huns came tearing over the horizon and down the pass. They were like a swarm, a huge black mass of death running at increasing speed. Armin threw up.

Levi drew his sword, and Armin gawked. More than a few men were already fleeing. Armin desperately wanted to join them, and likely would have if Levi hadn’t grabbed his horse’s reigns to stop him.

“I need you to do something for me.” Levi said, pulling Armin’s horse closer so they could speak without being overheard. 

“I… I can’t…”

Levi smiled, and it was terrifying. The Captain felt no fear, only thrill at the battle they were about to face. “I haven’t even told you what you have to do.”

“I’m going to die.” Armin whimpered, his lip trembling. He swallowed the bile which burned his throat.

“No, you are one of the few who will survive, if you do exactly as I say.”

***

Armin was a blur in the distance by the time the Huns were almost atop them.

“I’ve never seen anyone ride that fast.” Hange yelled over the Huns battle cry. The volume made his rib cage rattle. “What the Hell did you tell him to do?”

Levi didn’t respond, nor did he look at Hange. That was when Hange realised things were about to get bad. 

Hange couldn’t catch his breath, and his heart was racing. He hoped Levi’s plan wasn’t to die spectacularly, because that’s what it was looking like so far.

The men which remained were lined up behind them with their swords drawn. They stood and waited for their orders. There were a dozen archers consistently shooting into the mass of Hun bodies, but did little damage. One man would fall, and fifty would take his place.

The cannons were more effective, causing a ripple effect which could take out as many as twenty men, but they were in short supply. They had two canons remaining when Levi called for them to stop shooting.  

“Connie! Jean!” Levi roared suddenly, distracting the shivering men in the front lines. They both returned their swords to their scabbards and shuffled through the snow towards Levi.

“Sir?”

“Which of you is the better shot with a cannon?” Levi demanded.

Connie and Jean looked at each other blankly before both pointed at the other.

“Perfect. Take one each and shoot at the cliffs.”

“That’s insane!” Jean cried. He had always been the dutiful soldier, determined to live up to his father’s memory, but this was too real.

Surprisingly, it was Connie who nodded without question and lifted a cannon into his arms.

“Connie, don’t do it! It’s a waste of ammunition.” Jean said.

“I trust the Captain.” Connie said. “He can get us through this.”

“No, I can’t.” Levi said.

Connie and Jean stared up at him like the frightened children they were. They were just boys, Levi thought. At least he had managed to save Eren, he thought. No, he couldn't think about him. Not now. _Stupid brat._

“I can’t promise anyone will survive this, but...” Levi’s voice rose so that the rest of his men could hear. It took everything to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “If we die, we die with honour!”

With a mighty roar, Levi kicked his horse and charged head-first towards the mass of the Hun army. Hange followed, trusting completely that Levi had a plan. They might die, Hange didn’t care, as long as they WON.

They were close. Close enough that Levi could see the fear glisten in his enemies eyes. 

The sound of clashing steel and ripping flesh was overwhelming as the Hun’s collided with the Imperial Army. Levi and Hange stuck together, riding at the front of the pack and tearing through dozens of bodies. Together, they tore a path which led the way for the men behind them.

They were fierce, but the Hun’s numbers overwhelmed them quickly. Hange was knocked from his horse by a tall, thin man wielding a stone hammer. Levi skewered the man with his sword, only to be physically ripped from his saddle by a man in thick furs. Levi was tossed into the snow beside Hange, who had found his feet and was slashing at anything with a pulse. Blood soaked his front, but none of the blood was his own.

The battle was barely a five minutes old. Levi scanned his immediate surroundings but couldn’t see a familiar face, besides Hange. He could only see a wall of Huns surrounding them in interlocking circles. They quickly formed a barrier and lowered pikes. They were trapped, Levi thought as he found his feet and leaned against Hange’s back. They spun slowly with their weapons raised, waiting for an opportunity to escape.

A lone figure on a horse approached the barrier. The soldiers parted to allow them to pass. This must be their leader, Levi thought. _Perfect_.

The Hun dismounted their horse and looked to Levi and Hange. It wasn’t until they lifted the thick fur hood that Levi realised that the leader of the Hun army was a woman.

“Damn it, Connie and Jean better do what they were fucking told.” Levi breathed and waited for the explosion which would signify his death.

***

Jean’s knees wobbled. He collapsed into the snow beside Connie, his vision blurry from crying. They both watched their comrades raise their weapons and charge bravely towards their deaths. After a moment, Connie collected the second cannon and dropped it at Jean’s feet.

Jean glanced up, then shook his head. “I’m not ready.”

“No-one ever is.” He said simply before propping his cannon in the thick snow. After a moment, Jean joined him. His hands shook and his tears froze on his cheeks, but he obeyed the Captain’s orders. Both prayed that they were dying for a reason.

“Together?” Connie said, glancing to his left to watch Jean fumble with his flint.

Jean nodded.

“On three. One. Two. Three.”

***

The boom of two near simultaneous cannons was music to Levi’s ears, and pure horror to Annie and the Hun army. They watched as two fiery streaks shot into the skies. One to the left cliff face, and one to the right. Both hit their target with a soft puff which quickly turned into a low rumble.

“What did you do?” Annie cried. She drew her sword and pointed the blade over Levi’s heart.

Levi smiled as he watched the thick snow roll off the cliffs from high in the mountains. The wave gradually building speed and power until an ocean of snow ten times the size of any army came crashing towards them.

The Huns tried to run, but the ground shook and slid beneath their feet. They were swallowed by the unrelenting force of mother nature and pushed towards the sheer cliff. 

“Bastard!” Annie cried, her eyes wide with fear as she slashed her blade across Levi’s chest. “What have you done!”

It was a shallow wound, but enough to send him to his knees. His hands were quickly soaked in blood. His vision blurred, and he could feel Hange’s hands shaking on his shoulders. Or perhaps it was his shoulders which were shaking.

“I won.” He said, then closed his eyes and was swallowed by the avalanche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm sorry, this chapter is short and cruel (like me - ha). 
> 
> Also, apologies for taking so long to write this. I've had a few surprises come at me these last few weeks. My work contract ended so it looks like I'll be travelling for the second half of the year - which is very exciting! :D 
> 
> Note: There will be survivors of the avalanche, but I won't say who... ;) 
> 
> Another Note: I've added an extra chapter to the fic because I've realised I can't wrap this up in one...


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An avalanche of angst.

“I won.” Levi said, then closed his eyes and was swallowed by the avalanche.

In the seconds before the wall of ice and snow could crush his body into oblivion, Annie gripped his shoulder and pulled him behind her horse. The force of the avalanche killed the horse instantly and knocked the wind out of them both. The beautiful beast fell onto its side, creating a small barrier which the snow could crash over; likely saving their lives. Annie dragged Levi’s body atop hers and held on for dear life.

She watched in numb horror as thick spears of ice slid inches from her face and over her horse. The avalanche pushed them quickly towards the cliff face. Levi struggled in her arms, but there was no space to run.

Their world turned white as they waited to tumble over the cliff, or for fate to keep them breathing just a little longer.

Annie watched countless men tumble over the edge, Huns and Imperial soldiers alike. All were equal in death. Faceless bodies flailing, screaming and struggling for survival. All ultimately failing. Tears stung her eyes. Those were her men that Levi had sent to their deaths. She had promised them victory, and she had failed.

This wasn’t right, she thought. She wasn’t supposed to die here. Today was supposed to be her greatest victory, and the man in her arms had stolen that from her. Hot fury boiled in her belly, and she took pleasure in digging her fingernails into Levi’s chest wound. He flinched but remained silent. Like father, like son.

Levi and Annie continued to inch closer to the edge. Time seemed to slow, and Annie held her breath.

A grey shadow flickered to her right and her eyes widened. With one arm wrapped around Levi's neck, Annie forced her way through the thick, icy slop until they fell, exhausted, behind a boulder. She watched dispassionately as her horse and countless screaming men tumbled to their deaths. 

The momentum of the ice began to lessen until the avalanche wore itself out. Everything stopped. The world went silent. Annie watched a flicker of fear, and disbelief, cross Levi’s features. She smiled. He should be afraid.

“Looks like neither of us win, today.” Annie said breathlessly before slamming a hunk of ice against Levi’s temple. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he went limp on top of her.

She grunted and shoved him aside, then began to dig them free of the snow. It was a relief when her hand broke the surface. She kicked out in frustration, uncaring when her feet collided with Levi’s unconscious body, until she was out in the open.

Looking around, she saw nothing but ice and death and destruction. If she had survived, then there would be others.

She didn’t care how long it took, or how many armies it cost her, she was going to kill the Emperor.

***

Armin’s body ached as he rode at full speed towards the flaming village.

He had to find Eren and Mike. Levi had told him to run and deliver a message. A message which made no sense. It didn't matter; Armin had to follow orders. 

“Eren! Mike!” Armin cried as he spotted a group of four walking along the road towards the Pass. Nobody would be walking this way, except soldiers. As Armin grew closer, he saw the figures of a young man, woman and two small children. A family?

The man waved and began running towards Armin, who slowed his horse to approach. He didn’t have time, Armin thought, he needed to find…

“Eren?” Armin could barely believe it. “Is that you beneath all that ash?”

“Armin, thank Christ! Where is Levi? We need to stop the army from going into the Pass. It’s a trap.” Eren cried, clutching the side of Armin’s saddle like he was barely capable of taking another step.

“Levi knew. He tricked the Huns into massing their forces, then he caused an avalanche. They are all dead. Everyone is dead.” Armin fell from his horse. Eren’s arms, and the thick snow, cushioned his fall. “Connie. Jean. Hange. The Captain.”

“It’s okay. I’m still here. Mikasa is still here.” Eren’s voice cracked.

“Whose Mikasa?” Armin sighed, finally able to let the shock take over his mind and body.

“I’m Mikasa. You know me as Mike.” Mikasa said, offering a hand to Armin to help him up. Armin stared at the hand, then at the young woman offering it.

“He sent me to find you.” Armin breathed and took her hand, too shocked to react.

“Who?” She asked as she propelled him to his feet.

“The Captain. He wanted me to deliver a message.”

“What did he say?” Eren and Mikasa spoke in unison.

“He said, ‘ _Tell the brat and his sister not to put the kids in an orphanage. They are horrible places._ ’” Armin whispered, then fainted.

***

Levi was jolted awake when a bucket of icy water was poured over his head. He gasped and immediately began to shiver as the relentless cold dug into his skin. The water stung where it dripped into his open wound.

Annie had stripped him of his warm furs. He wore only a pair of brown leather slacks and a dirty undershirt. He would freeze to death in minutes. She stood over him with her hands on her hips.

“Pleasure to meet you, Captain. My name is Annie, and you are a clever man.” She began. “Much cleverer than your father.”

Levi was silent, except for the sound of his teeth chattering together. His hands were bound behind his back and he was propped up against what felt like a horse corpse. He studied Annie and the two men standing behind her. One was tall and thin with black hair, the other blonde and stocky.

Annie leaned down and gripped Levi’s chin between her fingers. “You single handily killed my army, but you also killed your own.”

Levi clenched his jaw. If he lost his temper, then he would be more vulnerable than he already was. He couldn’t think about the soldiers and friends he had killed. Connie. Jean. Hange, God _Hange_.

“Just kill me already.” Levi hoped they would put him out of his misery. He couldn’t handle the guilt. The grief. It physically weighed him down. He doubted he could even stand.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re a hero. You defeated the Huns. You deserve to meet the Emperor, don’t you think?”

Levi forced himself to laugh. “I’m not taking you to the Emperor.”

“You don’t have a choice.” The shorter man standing behind Annie hissed as he gripped Levi by the throat and dragged him to eye level. Levi didn’t struggle. What would be the point?

“Reiner, put him down.” Annie sighed. Reiner hesitated, then dropped him. He fell like a sack of potatoes and gasped for breath.

“I’ll make this simple for you.” Annie said and clicked her fingers. The dark-haired man dragged a familiar face into Levi’s line of sight. “If you don’t take us to the Emperor, he will die.”

“C… Captain.” Jean was shaking. Levi hated himself for feeling disappointment at seeing Jean’s face. Why couldn’t it have been Hange? The guilt was too much to bear. Levi’s throat closed, and he swallowed tears.

“I sent over a hundred soldiers to their deaths today. What makes you think this one will make me soft?” Levi said. He knew he was a bastard, but that didn’t make watching Jean sob with terror any easier.

“He has a point.” Bertholdt said. In a move almost too quick to see he pulled out a blade and stabbed it into Jean’s thigh. Jean roared with pain. His scream echoed in the valley.

“Changed your mind?” Annie asked when Levi clenched his jaw.

“No.” He growled, then winced when Bertholdt ripped the blade free and blood began spurting at an alarming rate from the wound. Jean was making a strange high-pitched whining sound as he watched blood pour from his body.

“Kirstein, I’m sorry.” Levi said.

“Captain…”

“You fought bravely.”

“Please, don’t let me die.”

“Your father would be proud.” Levi tugged at his constraints, his shoulders clicking as he tried to untangle the knots holding his hands. It was no use. All he achieved was to bruise his wrists.

“It hurts.”

“I know. I’m sorry, they would have killed you either way.” Levi wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort, himself or Jean.

Jean nodded, closed his eyes in defeat, and bit his lip to stifle his cries.

Bertholdt chose that moment to dig the blade into Jean’s other thigh. Jean wailed.

“Stop it!” Levi shouted. “You punctured his femoral artery. He’s going to bleed out anyway.”

Annie smiled. “Don’t stop Bertholdt. I want to see the famous Captain Levi beg.”

“Bitch.” Levi hissed. “I’ll never betray the Emperor. No matter what you do. No matter who you kill.”

Annie’s smiling face went cold. “Give up. You’ve lost.”

“We’ve both lost.” Levi’s breath hitched when Annie gripped his throat and squeezed.

“Not yet.”

***

Eren gripped the reigns and kicked Armin’s horse into action.

“Wait, Eren!” Mikasa’s voice was an echo in the distance. All Eren could think of was the Captain’s message, delivered by Armin.

_Tell the brat and his sister not to put the kids in an orphanage. They are horrible places._

What the Hell was that supposed to mean? And how dare the Captain die without giving Eren a chance to berate him for his vagueness. It was driving Eren mad trying to figure out Levi’s motivation for keeping Armin, Mikasa and himself away from the battle when he knew how it would end.

It was getting dark. Too much time had passed since the avalanche. Logically, Eren knew that any survivors would have frozen to death or suffocated beneath the snow by now. It didn’t matter. Something beyond logic drove him.

His breath puffed in the air as he slowed his horse to a trot. He reached the mouth of the Pass in record time, but what greeted him was devastating.

Limp hands clutched at open air, desperately close to freedom but not quite reaching it in time. Scattered bodies of men and horses alike, most unrecognisable amidst the rubble, as far as the eye could see. In the distance, two figures huddled around a small fire.

“Yah!” Eren whipped the reigns and cautiously approached the group. His shoulder ached where Levi had stabbed him. The blade responsible for the wound felt heavy where it was slipped inside his boot. Eren suddenly realised it was his only weapon, and that he was an idiot for thinking he could do this alone. For all he knew, he was approaching a couple of Huns.

He stopped his horse about fifty metres from the group. Eren could only make out silhouettes. Of the pair, one was still beside the fire, and the other was shifting but not moving to stand. Perhaps wounded?

“Friend or foe!” Eren shouted, then mentally slapped himself. As if the enemy would tell him they were the enemy. As predicted, he received no response.

He pushed his horse forwards slowly, on high alert. The hairs on the back of his neck raised as the moving figure shifted more violently. Eren was convinced he was being watched. His heart pounded in his chest.

“Answer me! Friend or foe!” Eren was close enough to see the man lying down was blonde and lanky. Blood covered his clothes and pooled around his body. He couldn’t see his face, but assuming that blood was his, there was no way he could still be alive.

One potential enemy, Eren thought. He could handle one enemy, right? He wished Mikasa was with him. She was the asset in these kinds of situations.

“Friend or…”

Eren was knocked out of the saddle by an arrow to the shoulder. The same shoulder where Levi’s dagger had pierced. He hit he snow, blinded by pain. Moments passed and Eren felt someone lift him from beneath his armpits and drag him towards the fire. He groaned as he hit the ground, blinked to clear his vision, then choked.

“J... J…” Jean’s eyes were empty pools staring through him. Eren barely had a chance to react before he was rolled over to face the fire, and his enemies.

“Friend of yours?” There were three. Two men and a woman stood between him and the fire. Where had they been hiding? It was the woman who spoke, clearly the one in charge.

Eren didn’t know how to respond, until his eyes went past the trio of Huns to see Levi struggling with his arms behind his back and a gag in his mouth.

“Levi?” Relief flooded through Eren.  

“On a first name basis with this one, are we Captain?” Annie cooed as she leaned down to remove the Captain's gag. She jumped back and laughed when Levi tried to dig his teeth into her hand.

Eren’s relief was quickly followed by panic. He was wounded and trapped. Levi was incapacitated. Jean was… was… He couldn’t think about it. They didn’t have a chance unless Levi got free. But how with three seemingly uninjured Huns between them.

Damn it, he thought. He _needed_ Mikasa; she could fight her way out of this. Or Armin; he could think his way out. Eren felt useless. All he had was an arrow in his shoulder and… a knife in his boot. A knife which nobody except him knew about. 

Eren hoped his eyes didn’t light up as he formulated a plan.

He groaned and sat upright, clutching one hand to the arrow while leaving the other to hang along his leg. The pained expression which crossed his face wasn’t an act. He winced as painful electricity shot up his neck and down his spine.

Eren looked at Levi and said. “You bastard.”

Levi looked surprised but didn’t speak. His eyes tracked the movement of Eren’s hand as it reached slowly into his boot.

The Huns watched in amusement as Eren cursed at Levi.

“Jean died because of you.” Eren hated the words which were pouring from his mouth. “Where is Connie? And Hange? Did you condemn even your best friend?”

The hilt of the blade was warm. His palms were sweaty. In one hand he clutched the dagger, and in the other the arrow which stuck out of his shoulder. He hoped all that practice throwing knives was about to pay off. 

He gritted his teeth and thought, _this is going to hurt,_ before he threw the dagger towards Levi and simultaneously ripped the arrow out of his shoulder. Blood and flesh bloomed outwards like a flower. He shot to his feet, fuelled by adrenaline, and thrust the pointy end of the arrow directly into the closest Huns eye. The dark-haired man wailed and collapsed backwards into the fire. His thick furs caught alight and he was immediately engulfed in a ball of red and orange flames.

Now weapon-less, Eren faced Reiner. Both raised their fists. Eren swallowed. There was no way he could win this fight.

The Hun lunged towards him, then froze. His eyes opened wide and his mouth gaped like a fish before he collapsed forwards, the familiar hilt of a dagger poking from the back of his neck. Behind him, Levi stood with his hands slightly raised.

Their eyes met. Levi smirked before his focus was drawn away by the sound of a horse’s whinny. Annie laughed as she stole their only horse and rode into the dark night.

“No!” Eren cried. He moved to take chase, but Levi stopped him by clutching a handful of his jacket.

“We can’t let her escape!” Eren cried.

“You’ll never catch her on foot.” Levi said and released Eren so suddenly that he stumbled and fell to his hands and knees. The snow burned his skin and his shoulder-wound throbbed.

Eren was silent for a long time as he allowed his thoughts to catch up with his feelings. Finally, he said; “Wh… what happened to Jean?”

Levi sat beside Eren in the snow. The Hun's body crackled amidst the campfire. It smelled like a barbeque.

“It was my fault.” Levi began. His voice was quieter than normal. “I refused to take them to the Emperor, so they killed him. Slowly.”

Eren’s stomach rolled. “I didn’t mean what I said before. This wasn't your fault.”

“It was my idea that killed Jean and Connie and H… Hange.” Levi’s voice cracked. He coughed and glared at his boots.

Eren didn’t know what to do. Three corpses lay scattered around them. One friend; two enemies. It suddenly occurred to Eren that he had killed a man. _He_ had ended a life. His bloody hands began to tremor, so he kept them busy by placing them on Levi’s shoulders. Levi jumped.  

“You sacrificed everything to defeat the Huns.” Eren said. “You’re a hero.”

Levi started to shake his head, so Eren pulled him closer, ignoring the pain it caused his shoulder, which now had two stab wounds.

“I was supposed to die too.” Levi spoke so softly that Eren could barely hear him. “I wish I had.”

Tears pricked in the corners of Eren’s eyes.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

Levi collapsed against Eren’s chest, his breath slow and even against his collarbone.

“What now?” Eren asked, too scared to move lest he cause himself, or Levi, any further pain. Both had experienced enough for a lifetime.

“Tomorrow, we return to the Imperial City. We must warn the Emperor what is coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuity error #1 (of many): I went back and edited the scene in chapter 5 after Levi stabbed Eren's shoulder. Instead of Eren throwing the blade into the fire he keeps it because he needed it in this chapter. Silly me! 
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading! Coming up to the final chapter now. It will be sad to finish this one off. I've so enjoyed writing it! Buuut I'm looking forward to finally having a reason to bump the rating from Mature to Explicit. Honestly, it's probably more Teen and Up so far... but not for long ;) 
> 
> You're comments and kudos make me ridiculously happy and I'm so grateful to you kind people out there. <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all setup for the finale PLUS a little bit of sexual tension - just to keep things interesting. ;)

Annie’s breath fogged in the night air as she stared down the main street of the Imperial City. Glowing red lanterns lit the sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages rushed by, packed to the brim with friends and families on their way home. They had no idea how lucky they were to live in such a fine city. A place where all citizens were important, and leadership worked for the people, not for themselves. 

A young girl walked down the street with her hand clenched in her mothers. Both spoke quietly and laughed as they strolled past. The girl was about the same age Annie had been the first time she was raped. Such a thing was commonplace back home, but here it was safe for women and children to walk the streets alone at night.

Nobody gave Annie a second glance as she led her stolen horse towards the Palace; which shone as brightly as the sun on the horizon. 

Furious tears pooled in Annie’s eyes. She deserved to feel safe. Her life had been one filled with cruelty and loneliness. Now, once again, she was alone. Reiner and Bertholdt were dead. Her army was gone, and it was all because of Captain Levi Ackerman.

Her self-pity was redirected into anger. Heat flooded her cheeks and she ground her teeth. Levi would pay for his misdeeds against her, and she knew exactly how she would enact her revenge.

A smile curved her lips. She leapt atop her horse and rode hard towards the Palace; a stolen Imperial Soldier’s cape tucked into the pocket of her saddle.

***

Birds chirped to welcome the new day, waking Eren from his light dose. He was supposed to be keeping watch while Levi slept. He had passed out for barely ten minutes, but in that time he had somehow managed to mold his body against the Captain’s back and slide his arms around his waist. He was also, to his personal horror, sporting morning wood which was pressed tauntingly against Levi’s backside.

Eren held his breath as he carefully extracted his arms from around Levi; without waking him. He sat up, released the breath he had been holding and simultaneously thanked and cursed every God he could name for the much-needed distance between them. 

Levi murmured something in his sleep and curled into a ball. He looked so delicate. A wave of affection rolled in Eren’s chest. His features softened, and he reached over to stroke Levi’s hair. Before he could make contact, Levi’s eyes shot open and he snagged Eren’s wrist.

“What are you doing?” The Captain’s dark eyes were blurry with sleep for half a second before he snapped awake.

“Ah…” Eren said. “Waking you up?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Levi kneeled, still holding Eren’s wrist.

“Telling you?”

“You are infuriating.” Levi dropped Eren’s hand. “We need to get moving. It will take all day to reach the nearest village without a horse.”

“Captain, can I ask you something?”

“Isn’t that all you’ve done all morning?” Levi stood and brushed dirt, snow and a few flecks of crusted blood from his clothes.

“Sir, that day you dismissed Mikasa and I from the army..." Eren took a breath. Did he dare ask the question which was eating at him?

He could see dark rings under Levi's eyes and lethargy in his movements. This wasn't about his own anxiety, Eren reminded himself, this was about making sure Levi was okay and offering whatever comfort he could provide. 

"Why... did you kiss me back?”

***

Levi continued to wear his usual mask of indifference.

“I was messing with you.” He replied with a shrug, refusing to make eye contact.

Levi tensed when Eren stepped forwards. He hated the way the young soldier made him feel unstable. Captain Levi could face down an army of Huns with a smirk, but he couldn’t tell one brat that he had feelings for him. He was embarrassed enough after his admission the night before that he wanted to die. For a moment, his grief threatened to overcome him. Hange... Jean... Connie... So many brave lives wasted. 

“Maybe, but I think there is more to it.” Eren interrupted his depressive thoughts. 

“I’m not that complex.” Levi growled, refusing to step back from Eren and admit that his proximity made him uncomfortable. He realised it was a mistake when they were nose-to-nose. Their chests brushed lightly. Heat raised in his face.

Eren leaned forwards but kept his hands by his sides.

“Why did you kiss me back?” He repeated.

_Because I thought it would be my last chance._

Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren’s impulsive question. He didn’t dare give voice to the words in his mind. Those words were for him alone. Always alone.

“You could have shoved me away.” Eren said. “I thought you would. But you didn’t.”

“Yeager, don’t think so hard. You’ll hurt yourself.”

Eren stepped closer when Levi stepped back.

The Captain raised an eyebrow and forced his breathing to remain even. It was against his nature to be anything but in control, but Eren made him want to misbehave. His hands itched to touch. His lips to taste.

“Do you want to touch me?” Eren whispered into Levi’s ear.

Levi’s mind went blank. He had always relied on discipline to keep him alive. For twenty-nine years he had been that way. Old habits were hard to break, but rules didn’t seem to matter when it came to Eren. Levi clenched his hands into fists by his side.

“Do you want to taste me?” Eren asked. Heat pooled in Levi’s belly and his blood began to rush southward. He bit his lip.  _Control. Focus. Discipline._

“Do you want to hear me beg…”

Levi snapped. He grabbed the front of Eren’s shirt and pulled. _Fuck discipline._

“Shut up.” He growled, then slammed their lips together.

***

Eren was having an out of body experience. How the Hell did he end up here, with his hands under Captain Levi’s shirt and his tongue in his mouth?

Sensations came into focus in waves. Levi’s hands pulling lightly on the hair at the nape of his neck. The Captain’s tongue tracing the seam of his lips. His teeth nipping lightly along his collarbone.

“Shit!” Eren cried when Levi grabbed two handfuls of his ass and pressed their erections together. Eren returned the favour, pressing his hands at Levi’s lower back and rolling his hips forwards.

Levi’s breath hitched and he swallowed a moan. _It shouldn’t feel this good…_

“I love the sounds you make.”

“Shut up.” Levi said breathily. His head lolled forwards and he rested his forehead against Eren’s collarbone. When he pressed his lips to Eren’s neck and began to suck, Eren’s knees went weak.

Eren raised his head to look at Levi but was distracted by something over his shoulder.

“Levi… aaah!” Eren’s fingers clawed into Levi’s back as the Captain’s hands lowered. They traced down Eren’s chest to his navel then lower still until he was cupping the growing bulge in Eren’s pants. “ _Stop_! Stop… you have to stop.”

“Why?” Levi blinked, looking hurt as he focused on Eren’s flushed face.

“Look.” Eren said glumly and pointed to the horizon.

***

“I can’t get over… this.” Armin gestured generally at Mikasa, who raised her eyebrow in warning.

The two of them had argued at length about whether to follow Eren to the Tung Shao Pass or head to the nearest village. In the end, it was Mikasa’s insistence that they find a safe place for the children to stay that led them away from the Pass. She trusted Eren not to get himself killed, at least for a little while.

It had been surprisingly easy to find a couple to care for the children inside the village. Refugees from neighbouring villages had amassed there. All had lost too much and welcomed the opportunity to protect the innocent.

Once they had fulfilled the Captain’s request to keep the children out of an orphanage, Mikasa’s only mission became to find Eren. She and Armin had traded their Imperial Armour for two fine horses and were riding back down the road towards the Tung Shao Pass, and towards Eren.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice.” Armin continued.

“Drop it, Armin.” Mikasa warned.

“Short hair suits you.”

Mikasa was ready to tell the blonde to shut up but found herself too stunned to respond. Cutting her waist-length hair had been the hardest part of her disguise. She had always been proud of her hair. Hacking it away had felt like cutting away a piece of herself. She reached up and patted the short strands at the back of her head.

“Hmm.” Mikasa looked at Armin and nodded her thanks. If her face was flushed, she blamed exhaustion from the difficult ride.

“Look!” Armin cried, pointing straight ahead.

Mikasa’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of two figures; one tall brunette and one short and raven haired. They were pressed together in an intimate embrace. Who else could it be but…

Protectiveness straightened Mikasa’s spine and she rode at full speed towards Eren and Levi. By the time she reached them, they had separated.

Eren waved his arms in greeting, while Levi held back and threw their few belongings angrily into a burlap sack.

“Mikasa!” Eren cried. Mikasa leapt from her horse and wrapped her arms around her brother.

“Don’t leave me again.” Mikasa squeezed, then released. Her expression became severe as Levi sauntered towards them.

The Captain stopped and tilted his head.

“I said I’d kill you if I ever saw you again.” Levi said.

“And I promise I’ll kill you if you ever hurt my brother.” Mikasa said. She was itching for a fight.

“If we still hate each other once this is over, we can see who would make good on their promise. For now, we have bigger problems.” Levi said as Armin vaulted off his horse and ran towards them.

He was huffing by the time he reached them and asked; “What bigger problems?”

***

Annie glared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was short like a boys, the chopped remnants tossed haphazardly into a nearby bin. It was difficult to breathe thanks to the bandage which strapped her breasts.

It was insane to her that the Imperial Army didn’t allow women to be among their ranks. The Huns made no such discrimination.

She swapped her animal fur coats and skins for standard issue brown slacks. She was barely recognisable, even to herself. She threw the stolen Imperial Army cloak over her shoulders and pretended she didn’t feel a small sense of pride to be wearing a uniform; even if it was the uniform of her enemy.

It was finally time. Time to fulfil her mission and succeed where no-one else had. She was going to kill the Emperor. But not before she got her chance to take down her personal enemy; Captain Levi Ackerman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this would the final chapter? I lied. 
> 
> Don't fret, I won't make you wait much longer!
> 
> I'll post the next chapter tomorrow and the FINAL final chapter the day after that. *cross my heart* 
> 
> Apologies for the wait! Writers block is a bitch.
> 
> As always, thank you SO MUCH for reading and for your kudos and comments. They really do make my day.


	9. Chapter 9

Eren, Levi, Mikasa and Armin rode hard through the day and into the night. They were tense, their minds whirring with thoughts of the female Hun and the deadly threat she posed to their Emperor. It wasn’t until they reached the Imperial City that they realised the scale of their enemy’s genius.

Streamers and confetti littered the streets and the alleyways were full of the scent of freshly cooked meats. Everywhere people were dancing, singing and celebrating. The sound of laughter carried on the wind.

Levi’s eyes narrowed and he kicked his horse into gear. They rode as fast as they could through streets packed with dancing bodies. When people spotted them wearing their military garb, they were treated like heroes. The citizens believed the war was over, and that the Imperial Army had been victorious. They had no idea their greatest enemy was within the city walls. 

As they approached the Palace, the crowd only grew thicker. Eventually, the four dumped their horses and walked the rest of the way, shoving past merriment to reach the Palace.

Everything was draped in luxurious red carpets and the locked doors at the top of the Palace steps were bracketed on either side by enormous pillars. Levi pounded his fist three times against the heavy wood. The sound echoed in the chamber beyond, but the doors didn’t open.

“The Imperial and Hun armies fell at the Tung Shao Pass.” Levi said. “The only people who know this are the four of us, and the female Hun.”

“You think she has the Emperor hostage and has forced him to declare the end of the war.” Armin said. Levi nodded and began looking around. His eyes landed on the pillars which held the second-floor balcony.

"It's a trap. She want's to kill you." Eren said, then bit his tongue when Levi shot him a threatening glare. 

“Our mission is to save the Emperor at any cost.” Levi said, making eye contact with Mikasa and Armin before lingering on Eren. “Any cost.”

Eren, Mikasa and Armin nodded gravely. “Yes, sir.”

“Okay, here’s the plan…”

***

Eren couldn’t help but note the irony of scaling a pillar in the same fashion he had scaled the totem all those weeks earlier at the training camp. His success then had earned him a place on Levi’s Squad. Would he succeed again, or was it already too late? Eren wasn’t sure, but the thought alone made him push himself harder to reach the second-floor balcony.

He vaulted over the railing and took a moment to catch his breath. He was straightening when he felt something sharp poke into the base of his spine. His body went rigid.

“Speak and I’ll skewer you.” Annie whispered. Eren opened his mouth to shout, but Annie punched him in the throat, then pressed the blade against the freshly formed bruise.

Eren coughed, choking on air. He had to warn... “St…op… Mika…”

Mikasa climbed onto the balcony with a scowl on her face.

Annie tilted her head. “A woman?”

“A soldier.” Mikasa corrected, before falling into a fighting stance.

Annie smiled, pulling Eren more firmly against her. “Where is Captain Levi?”

“I don’t know.” Mikasa said, blank faced. Eren tried not to tense in response to her blatant lie. “I’m here for the Emperor.”

“If he’s not dead yet, he will be shortly. Emperor Erwin refused to bow to me, so I chopped off his arm.” Eren could hear the smile in Annie’s voice, and began struggling weakly. He froze when her dagger drew blood.

“You were too late. Do you hear me, Levi!” Annie shouted, a note of hysteria in her tone. Eren held his breath, waiting for Annie’s blade to sever his jugular.

“You couldn’t save your precious Emperor.” She was taunting Levi mercilessly, but had no idea he wasn’t within hearing range. Levi and Armin had broken through the front doors and sent Eren and Mikasa to the second-floor balcony to break in from above. The plan was to cover more ground and approach their enemy from multiple directions. They hadn’t anticipated running into Annie so soon.

"Your family is gone and your comrades are all dead because of you!" 

Rage turned Eren’s world red. Annie had murdered Jean! She had sparked the war which led to the deaths of Hange, Connie and so many brave soldiers. He gritted his teeth and met Mikasa’s pleading stare. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, as if she knew what he was about to do. Eren didn’t have a choice. He was tired of being rescued.

“You lost, Levi! You lo…” Eren took his chance while Annie was distracted. He gripped Annie’s wrist with both hands and pulled, propelling her over his shoulder and onto her back. Her dagger clattered against the stone tiles.

“Little _shit_.” Annie shot to her feet and lunged for Eren, who ducked the first fist, but took the second to the jaw. While Eren was dazed, Mikasa leapt into action. 

She was on Annie in an instant, shoving the other woman until her back was pressed against the frame of the doors which led to the balcony. Both were weapon-less, but far from defenceless.

Annie responded by wrapping her ankle around Mikasa’s legs and tripping her so they fell to the ground. Fists were thrown. Hair was pulled. The battle ended when Annie grabbed Mikasa’s skull and shoved her head brutally into the stone floor. Her body went limp.

“Mikasa!” Eren cried.

Annie’s chest was heaving as she regained her footing and faced Eren.

His hands shook as he lifted his fists. His hand-to-hand combat skills were weak. He knew he didn’t have a chance against the Hun, but he wasn’t about to give up. If he had to give his life so that Levi and Armin could save the Emperor, then it would be a life well spent.

Annie grinned, showing of a row of bloodstained teeth.

Eren cringed.

He was about to speak when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. He held his breath and forced himself to keep starting at Annie. Behind her, the doors into the Palace had opened and Captain Levi stepped through. There was blood on his shirt.

“What now?” Eren asked, desperate to keep Annie’s attention. She hadn't spotted Levi yet. “You are just one person. You can’t take over China on your own.”

“With the Emperor dead and the Imperial Army decimated, my people will cross the border into China and take up the mantle where my army failed.” Annie raised her chin proudly as Levi stepped behind her. He moved as silently as a ghost. A knife glinted in his hand.

Eren held his breath.

“I will be remembered as the greatest warrior in history, orchestrating the invasion of China alone! I have finally brought honour to my famil…” Before Annie could vocalise her final sentence, there was a flash of metal and Levi dragged his dagger across her throat. Her eyes widened, and blood spurted like a fountain from her throat. She died quickly, the smile still frozen on her face.

***

Eren ran to Mikasa’s side, slapping her face lightly until she regained consciousness. 

“The Emperor?” She groaned. Her eyes crossing until they focused on Eren’s face. He breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Armin is with him.” Levi said. Eren looked at the blood covering Levi’s clothes and noted his glassy-eyed stare.

“Is the Emperor…”

“He’s alive.”

“Annie said she cut off his arm.” Eren said as he helped Mikasa stand. She leaned against his shoulder, and Eren pulled her against his side and wrapped a hand around her waist.

“She did.” Was all Levi said.

“Will he live?” Eren asked.

Levi shrugged. “Hard to say.”

Eren ground his teeth at Levi’s short responses. The female Hun was dead. The Hun army was gone. China was safe. Eren knew he should feel relief, but he couldn’t stop looking at Annie’s softly smiling features and wonder; was everyone the hero of their own stories?

There was so much to say, and yet Eren remained silent.

Outside the Palace, the citizens of the Imperial City continued to celebrate the end of the war. Only, now, they were celebrating the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled to write this chapter. THIS was the part which was giving me writers block, so I hope it's alright. Even though Annie was the villain of the piece, I felt kind of sad killing her. She was complicated. :( 
> 
> So, only one chapter left! It will be posted tomorrow and will be packed full of fluff and smut. :D
> 
> Thanks again for your kudos and comments. They make me smile every time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaahh this fic has been so GREAT to write! I'm a bit sad to see it end. 
> 
> I cannot express how much I appreciate all your comments and kudos. Y'all make writing all the more enjoyable. Love you all. xoxo <3

Tears streamed down Carla Yeager’s cheeks as Eren and Mikasa stepped through the doors of their family home for the first time in weeks. She pulled them both into a warm embrace and refused to let go.

“Mum, it’s okay. We’re home.” Eren said. He blinked away tears and patted her back. It seemed like years since he had seen his mother’s smiling face and felt her arms around him. He was surprised at what a relief it was to be home. Suddenly, he felt unbelievably tired.

“Did Dad ever come ba…”

“Son.” Eren turned and saw his father, Zeke Yeager, standing at the threshold. The failing sunlight shone behind him, leaving only his silhouette.

Eren felt the floor tilt beneath his feet. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t seem to speak. _Dad_ …

“Son, can you ever forgive me?”

Eren didn’t know. That was the truth. He just didn’t know. If Zeke hadn’t fled, Eren and Mikasa wouldn’t have become soldiers. They had lost so much. Friends. Comrades. They weren’t children anymore, and the trauma of what they had seen would never leave them.

He jumped when he felt Mikasa’s hand on his shoulder, shortly followed by his mothers.

“Zeke, I told you. You aren’t welcome in this house anymore.” Carla said.

His mother’s words felt like a punch to the gut. His parents weren’t together anymore, and Eren couldn’t help but feel responsible.

“I know… I just wanted to see them both before I left.” Zeke said, his head bowed as he shuffled back out onto the porch.

“Where are you going?” Eren burst.

“I volunteered for the Imperial Army.” Zeke said. Eren could not have been more surprised. “I should never have abandoned you. I was a coward. I don’t know how to make it up to you all, so I’m beginning by righting my mistake.”

“I… I….” Eren stuttered. Their history didn’t matter, Zeke was still his father. He would miss him. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I do.” Eren jumped when a familiar face ascended the steps of their front porch.

“C… Captain?!” A high-pitched buzzing sound began ringing in Eren’s ears. The only way he could feel more stressed was if the Hun army suddenly came barrelling over the hills.

Captain Levi was at _his_ house. Meeting _his_ parents. Eren had to fight the urge to run. He was terrified of what the Captain would say to his father.

“Sir.” Levi shook Zeke’s hand. “Thank you for your cowardice.”

Eren blinked. That wasn’t what he had expected. Hell, he was surprised Levi hadn’t just punched him outright.

“Without it, the Imperial Army would never have been graced with two disobedient, reckless… talented soldiers.” Levi finished.

If it were possible, Eren blushed harder. Even Mikasa shifted uncomfortably under the unexpected praise.

“Without them, the Huns might have succeeded. The Emperor could not be more grateful for their service.”

“He’s alive?” Mikasa asked.

Levi nodded. “He’s recovering, slowly.”

“That’s… good news.” Zeke said, pulling his hand back from Levi’s fierce handshake. He subtly stretched his fingers to make sure nothing was broken.

“Welcome to the Imperial Army.” Levi said, an almost smile curving his lips, before he turned his back on Zeke Yeager. That intense gaze focused on Eren. The brunette couldn’t suppress a shiver. Levi looked positively predatory. “Mrs. Yeager, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to your son.”

“Of course.” Carla grabbed Mikasa by the arm, dragging them from the house and pushing Zeke to leave. “Mikasa and I will return in a few hours with dinner. I hope you’ll stay?”

“Gladly.” Levi said. “By the way, Mikasa, Armin was looking for you.”

Mikasa blushed, and Eren’s brain backfired. _What was going on there_?! Before he had a chance to ask, Carla slammed the door behind them, leaving Eren and Levi alone in tense silence.

***

“You are the opposite of subtle, Carla.” Mikasa said as she and Eren’s mum walked into town. Zeke walked in the opposite direction, disappearing quickly into the crowd.

“I know my son.” Carla smiled. “Just like I know my daughter.”

“What are you talking about?” Mikasa grumbled, nerves bubbling in her belly.

“Oh nothing. So, who’s this Armin fellow?”

“Just one of the squad.” Mikasa said, refusing to make eye contact. “A friend.”

“I see.” Carla said. “I can collect dinner without you if you’d like to see him.”

Mikasa looked at her boots and bit her lip. She couldn’t stop thinking about Armin’s words after he had discovered she wasn’t a man.

_I can’t get over… this._

She needed to know what Armin had meant.

“Mikasa?”

“I’d like to see him.” Mikasa said, then blushed, though she wasn’t completely sure why. “Are you sure you don’t need help with dinner?”

“I’ll be fine.” Carla smiled.

“Thanks, mum.” Mikasa said before running ahead. If she had turned around, she would have seen tears streaming down Carla Yeager’s face.

Mikasa had never called her ‘mum’ before.

***

“So…” Eren began, shifting uncomfortably across the room. He remembered their kiss in the snow vividly, his heart racing. He didn’t know what to say.

“So…” Levi said, just as evasively. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his hip against the dining room table which separated them. “Are you going to come closer, or do I have to shout at you from across the room?”

“If you’re going to shout, I think I’ll stay here.” Eren said.

Levi made a sound low in his throat before he vaulted over the table and stormed towards Eren. The brunette gasped and shuffled backwards until his back slammed against the wall. He groaned when he hit the back of his head against the bricks, then bit his tongue to hold back a cry as Levi slammed both hands against the wall on either side of Eren’s head, effectively trapping him.

“C… Captain…” Eren cringed and shut his eyes, anticipating a blow which would never come.

“You left.” Levi’s voice was a low growl, but there was a hint of emotion which Eren was afraid was hurt. “After I killed the female Hun, you left.”

“I… I just wanted to come home.” Eren breathed. “I didn’t think…”

“About me?” Levi said, his eyes going colder by the second.

“No, I did!” Eren cried. “I thought, after what happened in the Pass…”

Levi’s eyes narrowed and Eren swallowed around his suddenly dry throat.

“I was afraid you might have changed your mind.” Eren said carefully, his face flushed.

Levi leaned closer and tilted his head. Eren could see the flecks of gold in the Captain’s eyes. He held his breath.

“I haven’t.” Levi said.

Eren bit his lip when the Captain ran his fingers through his hair. With Levi’s right hand no longer blocking him, Eren ducked away and slipped out of the Captain’s embrace. Panic made Eren’s body tremble.

“Wait, wait!” Eren gasped. Levi continued to stalk him until Eren’s back pressed against the table. When he got close, Eren raised his arms defensively and pressed his hands against Levi’s firm chest.

“What’s the problem?” Levi chuckled. Eren felt his chest vibrate beneath his fingers. “I want you. Don't you want me?”

Eren nodded but continued to press Levi back when he tried to step closer. Levi growled with frustration.

“What is it, then?”

“Are you going to stay?” Eren said. Levi looked stunned.

“What? For dinner?” Levi asked.

“Not for dinner!” Eren cried. “Forever?”

Levi’s eyes widened. There was a long silence as he studied Eren’s furiously flushed face. Forever… was a long time. Levi thought about the people who had come and gone in his life. He had lost so many friends, and he had no family left. Even his longest relationships had been short lived. 

“I can’t promise I’ll be around forever.” Levi said. At the end of the day, he was a soldier, as was Eren. They couldn’t predict the future with any certainty, all they could do was hope. And what Levi hoped for was time to build a life and a future… with Eren. 

“All I can promise is to be there for you for as long as we both keep breathing.” Levi broke through Eren’s barriers and pulled him close, tucking his head beneath the taller man’s chin. “Until that day, I’m not going anywhere… brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BONUS CHAPTER still to come. ;D 
> 
> Will just be smut... Yep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The smut you've all been waiting for. Lol I never thought I'd say that sentence. XD

Eren’s back slammed against the surface of the kitchen table. A gasp caught in his throat as Levi pulled his shirt over his shoulders. Levi threw the offending material to the floor and climbed atop the table, one knee on either side of Eren’s hips. His hands ran the length of Eren’s now bare torso, delighting in the feel of his muscles bunching and trembling beneath his fingers.

“You're so responsive.” Levi breathed.

Eren growled, his hands reaching for the buttons of Levi’s military shirt. His fingers were clumsy and Levi intervened after the first button.

“Let me.” Levi said, a smile gracing his face as he slowly peeled off his shirt.

“You’re a tease.” Eren sat up so they were face to face. His hands latched onto the back of Levi’s neck and brought their faces closer. The move brought their hips together, their clothed erections straining but not quite touching.

“I could say the same of you.” Levi said, their lips brushing as he spoke.

Impatient and already desperate, Eren surged forwards, pressing their lips more firmly together. His fingers tightened in Levi’s hair.

Levi pulled back far too quickly for Eren’s liking.

The younger man released a quiet whine. “More.”

Levi chuckled, but was in no state to argue. His arms wrapped around Eren’s back and pulled until their chests were flush. Their sweat slicked skin slid together with a delicious friction which was already driving Levi wild. When their hips rocked together, both gasped with surprised pleasure.

“Pants. Off. Now.” Levi demanded, shoving Eren away to kick off his boots and unbuckle his belt. Eren removed his boots, then paused.

“Wait, we can’t do this on my mothers kitchen table.” Eren said in a rare moment of clarity.

Levi gave him a look which was half frustration, half agreement as he hesitated with his belt.

“Where?” Levi growled. His pupils were blown wide and his expression was almost predatory. Heat rushed through Eren and pooled at the base of his spine. It should be illegal to look at someone with such unrestrained lust.

“Follow me.” Eren grabbed Levi’s wrist and dragged him around the corner and into a small room with two single beds, a desk and a bookshelf. Eren’s mother had kept his room meticulously clean while he had been away.

Eren shuffled awkwardly in the doorway. It was a small room with plain walls and few personal belongings which he shared with his sister. His family were farmers, they weren’t wealthy. Suddenly, he felt embarrassed to have shown Levi a space which was so personal.

“Ah… this is mine and Mikasa’s room.”

“I figured.” Levi said, running his hands lightly over Eren’s shoulders and down his back. He leaned in and pressed his chest to Eren’s back, his hands reaching around to undo the top button of Eren’s pants.

Eren tensed.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked, his hands resting lightly on the protruding V of Eren’s hipbones. His hands were calloused and warm and Eren wanted to feel them everywhere.

“I’m just nervous.” Eren said. “I’ve never done this before.”

“What do you think we're going to do?” Levi whispered in Eren’s ear, then bit lightly at the lobe. Eren almost squeaked.

“Ah... I thought…” Eren’s blush darkened.

Levi’s hands began to move, tracing the front of the brunettes pants and resting over the prominent bulge. It took all of Eren’s self-control not to thrust against his hot palm.

“Yes?” Levi said.

“Ah… fuck.” Eren cursed as Levi increased the pressure of his palm. His hips canted forward of their own will and he bit his lip to hold in a moan. Levi chuckled.

“That’s right.” Levi said. “I’m going to fuck that tight little ass of yours.”

Eren whined, his hips pressing back against Levi’s clothed erection.

“Would you like that?” Levi removed his palm in preference of unbuttoning Eren’s pants. He was stunned by how impatient he was feeling. He didn’t know how long he was going to last.

Eren nodded eagerly, holding his breath as Levi pushed his pants over his hips.

“I need to hear you say it.” Levi said, before shoving Eren’s pants to the ground and wrapping his hand around the base of his cock.

Eren’s eyes rolled in his head. A low moan passed his lips and his back arched into the touch.

“Please! I need you inside me.” It took almost no teasing for Eren to beg. Levi was stunned. The sound of the younger mans gravelly voice and panting breath made Levi want to toss him on the bed and claim him. 

“Good boy.” Levi whispered. Eren whined. He placed a kiss to the side of Eren’s neck, sucking lightly on the sensitive skin, while he slowly pumped Eren’s erection. He kept his pace slow and his pressure just strong enough to drive Eren wild.

“C… captain!” Eren gasped when Levi’s hand tightened around his erection.

Levi froze.

“What did you just call me?” He demanded, his voice gravelly. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Say it again.”

What Eren had mistaken for anger very clearly presented itself as arousal when Levi pressed his sizeable erection against the crease of Eren’s ass.

Eren’s eyes widened, his lips parted in surprise. “Oh, Captain.”

Levi growled. The temperature in the room seemed to double. Levi began rocking against Eren’s ass, his palm slick from Eren’s precum as he pumped the younger man's erection. When his thumb ran lightly over the head, Eren shouted with pleasure.

“Ahhhngh… I won’t last if you keep… Captain!”

“Keep talking.” Levi demanded.

His hand tightened on Eren’s length, bringing him to the very edge, before he released him and pulled away. He shoved Eren’s shoulders forwards until his elbows were braced against the wall. Then, he pulled a small bottle of oil from his pocket.

“What are you… nnngh.” Eren’s toes curled when Levi ran a slippery finger along his crease, teasing the tight muscle, before slowly slipping inside. It wasn’t long before Levi was down to the knuckle and slipping a second finger inside.

The second was a tighter fit, and Eren’s back muscles tensed. Levi soothed them by using his free hand to continue pumping Eren’s softening erection.

“Okay?” Levi asked as he used more oil and slipped a third finger inside.

“It feels weird.” Eren said, his brow furrowed. Nerves fluttered in his belly. 

“Just let me find the right angle and…”

Eren doubled over as Levi pressed something deep inside. It was like he had flicked a switch. Eren saw stars and his libido went from zero to one hundred in an instant. His chest heaved and he struggled to take a breath as Levi pressed against it again. And again. 

“Fuck… Levi, now!”

Levi removed his fingers and gave Eren a moment to catch his breath as he slicked himself up with the oil. He pressed Eren’s shoulder, forcing his hips backwards and his torso to be at almost a right angle to the wall. He looked absolutely filthy bent over like this, Levi thought. He was begging to be taken against the wall.

“Are you ready?” Levi asked, one hand holding Eren’s hips steady, while the other ran along his spine and across his broad shoulders.

Eren trembled and nodded.

“Say it.”

“Please, Captain.” Levi growled at the use of the title. It was so wrong, but it made him feel powerful.

Eren bit his lip as Levi slowly slid inside. They took their time, allowing him to adjust to the sensation of being stuffed full of another man’s cock, but Eren didn’t make it easy for Levi. His mouth was running with whispered curses and pleading gasps of ‘ _Captain, yes, more, now, harder_.’

Levi barely kept control, his fingers tightening to an almost bruising grip at Eren’s hips as he fought for sanity. It was so tight. So hot. 

When Eren pressed back against Levi, using his leverage from the wall to pull Levi in deeper, Levi almost lost his mind.

“Fuck.” He gasped, his heart racing as he wrestled with his self-control. “Eren... Don't...”

Eren moaned at the sound of his name. He rocked back again. He needed Levi deeper. Deeper. Deeper.

"Deeper!" 

“Nnngh.” Levi snapped. Both hands gripped Eren’s hips and he pulled them together with enough force that Eren was thrust forward and had to catch himself against the wall. The younger man gasped with every thrust. When Levi changed the angle and began hitting his prostate, Eren’s volume doubled and his knees trembled.

Suddenly, Levi wasn’t satisfied with just hearing Eren’s pleasure. He needed to see his face. He pulled out and spun him around. Before Eren could ask what was wrong, Levi had shoved Eren onto his back on the closest mattress. 

He joined Eren on the bed, hooking his elbows beneath Eren’s knees and pulling him close. He re-entered Eren in one smooth thrust, and Eren’s expression made the changed position worth it. His eyes rolled in his head and his lips parted on a silent moan. His back arched and his fingers tore into the bedsheets.

“You are so fucking beautiful.” Levi gasped, thrusting deeper with each roll of his hips.

The praise almost pushed Eren over the edge. Levi saw it, and smirked, then gasped when Eren’s internal muscles tightened around him.

“So… goddamn… good for me.” Levi groaned.

“Captain.” Eren panted, sweat running down his chest. He reached between them and gripped his cock in his hand. Levi watched Eren chase his own pleasure, their bodies sliding together sinfully.

“I’m close.” Eren gasped. 

Levi nodded, his hips pumping faster and faster. He reached down and placed his hand over Eren’s, together pumping his straining erection. Their pleasure built. Growing more intense. Almost painfully so until Eren whispered, ‘Captain’ one final time and they both climaxed with the other’s name on their lips.

They came to minutes later, wrapped in each other and blissfully relaxed.

Eren traced the scars of his lovers back with his fingertips, a smile curving his lips.

“Levi.”

“Hmm.” Levi’s head was tucked into Eren’s neck.

“You probably don’t want to hear this.” Eren hesitated when Levi tensed. Still he persisted. He never was one to back down from a fight. “I mean, we haven’t known each other long, but we’ve been through so much and you mean so much to me and I think… I… ah. I love you."

There was a long silence. Eren panicked. "I don’t need you to say it back I just wanted you to know and…”

“Eren.” Levi interrupted, rising to meet Eren’s gaze. “I love you too.”

Eren’s eyes widened, a slow smile spreading on his face. His chest felt like it was about to burst. “You’re such a sap.”

“Shut up, brat.” Levi grumbled, tucked his head into the crook of Eren’s neck, then promptly fell asleep. 

Eren grinned to himself, his fingers running through Levi's hair as the older man slept.

He didn't believe in perfect endings, they simply didn't exist, but perfect moments certainly did - and this was one of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, now it's properly over. *cries*
> 
> I really loved writing this fic. It was so random but it was exactly what I needed to write. 
> 
> To everyone who left a comment or kudos - THANK YOU! Genuinely, your comments are so motivating. I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart. Y'all motivate me to keep writing and (I hope) keep getting better. 
> 
> *HUGS ALL ROUND*


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